


Not Just Another Number

by Lunar_Eclipse1



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Angst, F/F, F/M, Jonathan's a jerk, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:06:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 54
Words: 120,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24637288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunar_Eclipse1/pseuds/Lunar_Eclipse1
Summary: Sarah Byers, adopted daughter of Joyce Byers, older sister to Will Byers, and twin to Johnathan Byers, has been keeping a secret from everyone that she knows. But what will happen when a girl with a past like her's shows up with the disappearance of her baby brother happening. Will her secret be known, will she be forced to go back home, or will she just ignore everything while her party goes monster hunting? If only normal things happened in Hawkins.TAKES PLACE SEASON 1-3. ALL RIGHTS GO TO ORIGINAL ARTISTS AND THE CREATOR OF STRANGERTHINGS. I ONLY OWN SARAH BYERS AND HER STORY.WARNING: SWEARS
Relationships: Robin Buckley/Original Female Character(s), Steve Harrington/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52





	1. Unlucky Night

**Sarah's POV**

"Hey, Sarah, you coming over tonight? I could really use your help on some stuff." Steve says as he slams my locker shut. I roll my eyes. "Steve I already told you that I have a double shift tonight. Why don't you ask your girlfriend for help?" He groans as I walk to class. "But Byers, everytime we study, I get all distracted, and you know..." He whines, trailing off.

"Ah, yes, because as a best friend, my duty is to help you study so you won't sleep with your own girlfriend for one night." He nods his head, and I groan. _Does this boy not know what sarcasm is?_ I see Nancy walk up to us and I sigh. "Hey guys, what's up?"

"Your boyfriend's sad that I can't tutor him." I say. I hear Steve let out a noise as Nancy laughs. "Why? What are you doing tonight?" she asks. I sigh, I just can't get a break. "You know what I'm doing tonight Nancy. I have a double shift at work, if I didn't, then I would love to hang out, but I just can't." Now they both start to whine. _Great. If they're reacting like this, just imagine how the party's going to react._

I walk off to class, while the others go off to their other friends. Throughout class I can't help but feel sad that I can't hang out with Steve. For the longest of time, I've had the biggest crush on Steve, but he's dating Nancy. I can't help but be jealous, but they're happy together. All I can do is stand on the side and be happy for them, no matter how much it hurts. The class was over fairly quickly. As the final bell rang, I started to walk to my car. All I need to do is pick up my little brother and get ready. I drive over to the middle school and honk my horn.

"Hey, little bro! Get in, we need to hurry!" I yell.

"Sarah!" The party cheers.

"Hey Druid, it's DnD time!" Dustin cheers.

This was the part that I was dreading. "Sorry boys, but I have work tonight. I promise I'll come to the next one. Druid's swear." The boys start to whine and beg, but I shut them down immediatly. "Sorry, but my boss won't take no for an answer. How about if I supply the snacks next time, huh?" I negotiate. Luckily that got them to calm down. Will puts his bike in the trunk and gets in the car and we drive off.

"So, anything happen? Those asswipes mess with you again?" I ask, concern in my voice. "No,we were just ignored like every other day." Will says.  
"Why can't you come tonight? We were planning on this forever! It won't be the same without you." Will asks. I sigh in defeat. I feel so bad that I can't make it, but I need the money. "Will, you know why. I promise you that I'll make it to the next one. I'll plan out everything, how does that sound?" I try to make him feel better.

He's silent for a few seconds, but finally speaks up. "We really can't live without you, can we?" He chuckles. "Sure you can, it just won't be as fun without your big sis buying you guys a bunch of food." I joke. We laugh and sigh in content. As we make our way home, we are surrounded by a comfortable silence

**Time Skip**

"Are you sure you can ride your bike to Mike's? I can drop you off. I have a few minutes to spare." I ask worridly. "I'll be fine, Sarah, just get to work before you get into even more trouble." Will says, pushing me out the door.

"Fine, fine. But remember, if none of us are here, you lock the door and let no one in. Understand?" I ask. He nods his head in agreement. I sigh and grab my car keys. "Okay, just have fun and I'll be back by the morning. I love you, and stay out of trouble." I say as I make my way to my car. He waves back at me. Little did I know that, that was the moment I shouldn't have taken that shift. That was the last time I saw Will.


	2. Where's Will?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah's little brother goes missing. Will she find him?

**Sarah's POV**

"Where the hell are they?" Mom asks, looking for her keys. "Check the couch!" Jonathan suggests, helping me make breakfast. Today, Jonathan and I wanted to make breakfast for everyone, and almost everyone was awake. We are just waiting on Will.

"Okay, kids, I will see you tonight." Mom says, keys in hand."Oh, where's Will?" She asks before she leaves.

"Oh I didn't wake him up yet, he's probably still asleep. Let me go get him." I say, letting Jonathan take over the cooking. Mom thanks me as I walk to Will's room.

"Will, come on, it's time to get up." I say as I open his door. To my suprise, he's not in there. "Will?" I ask, in case he was just hiding. I get no response. "He's not in his room." I say as I walk back into the living room.

"He came home last night, right?" Mom asks. "I don't know." Jonathan and I say. "I was working." Jonathan says. "And I had that double shift I told you about."

"We talked about this, you both can't take shifts when I'm working." Mom argues. Jonathan apologizes as I try to find a logical reason as to why Will's not here. "He was at the Wheeler's all day, maybe he spent the night."

Mom walks over to the phone and call Mrs.Wheeler. _Will would have told me if he was gonna spend the night. What's going on?_ "Um, I think he just left early for school. Thank you so much. Bye." Mom hangs up the phone. From her look, we can tell that Will's not there. _This is weird, Will never leaves without telling someone first._ "I, um, have to get to school, I'll look for him after school." I say breaking the silence. I hug my mom, trying to make her feel better. As I let go, I see how scared she is. _William Byers, you have a lot of explaining to do when we find you._

Jonathan and I drive to school, the drive is silent. We're both wondering where Will could be. _Maybe he is at school, and just forgot to tell us. At least, that's what I hope._ We park the car as soon as we get there and go our seperate ways.

"Hey, Byers." I hear a familiar voice say. "What do you need, Steve?" I ask, already expecting that he needs a favor done. "Oh how you wound me so. Why do you automatically assume that I need something?" He asks, holding his hand on his heart, pretending to be hurt. I laugh as I roll my eyes. "Fine. So you don't want me to do something?" I ask, still suspicious. "No, I was just coming over here to ask why you look so down. You okay?" He asks.

 _Was I that obvious?_ "I'm fine, Steve. Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed." I say, trying to make it seem as if I am okay. Steve gives me a suspicious look, but brushes it off. "Sarah, you know you can tell me anything, right?" He says, putting his hand on my shoulder. I chuckle and brush his hand off. "Dude, I don't need you getting all soft on me. What happened to 'King Steve'?" I tease. He laughs in response and ruffles my hair.

"Hey, I got to go. I'll see you in class." He says. I nod and wave goodbye, feeling a slight pain in my chest. I shouldn't feel like this though, I should be used to this. Ever since him and Nancy started dating, I was pushed into the background. Steve and I have been drifting apart recently. We used to hang out everyday, but now, he spends all his time with Nancy. I don't blame him though, they are dating afterall, but sometimes I wish that we could hang out more often.

I make it to my class, one of the many that I have with Steve, and sit in my normal seat. Not suprisingly, Steve isn't here yet. _Come on Steve, you can't miss chemistry again._ After a few minutes, Steve saunters into class. He makes his way to the seat next to me, ignoring my glare, and sits down.

"Why are you late?" I whisper-shout.

"I was just hanging out with my girlfriend, nothing bad." He says, looking away.

I raise my hand, still looking at the teacher, and whack him upside the head. I hear him chuckle in response. Class goes on, a little too slow for me, when the Principal walks in. "Miss Sarah Byers. We need you in the office." He says. _What did I do? Why do they need me down there?_ I slowly stand up and grab my things. Steve gives me a questioning look, to which I only shrug.

As I'm escorted to the office I begin to worry. What did I do? I don't remember doing anything bad except let Steve copy my homework on multiple occasions. If that's the reason why I'm going to the office, then the school's really gone downhill. As we walk in, I see Hopper waiting. Hopper is the chief of police. I know him because I sometimes volunteer at the precinct. What's he doing here?

"Hey Hop, what's the occasion?" I ask, relaxing since it's only Hopper. I sit down in my chair, ready to find out the reason why I'm here.

"Hey kid. I, um, I got some bad news." Hopper says, suddenly becoming serious. I sit straighter in my chair, ready for the news. I signal for him to continue and he sighs. "It's about your brother, Will. I don't know if you noticed, but he's missing."

I feel my chest tighten once again. "Yeah, I-I know. I was kind of hoping he just left for school early, though." I say sadly. Hopper sighs and runs his hand down his face. "We're going to do whatever we can, but we believe that he might be with your father."

_**My Father...** _

_No no no no no! Please let him be talking about Lonnie._ "Sir, if you're talking about Lonnie, that man is not my father. And I doubt that Will is with that man." I say with spite in my voice. Lonnie was the type of person that hated it when his children showed any kind of emotion. He even called me a mistake just because Joyce wanted to adopt me.

"Sorry, but we have to take any possabilities into account. Just, when was the last time you saw him?" Hopper asks, after seeing how I reacted to him bringing up Lonnie. Before I can even get a word out, the door slams open to reveal the one and only, Steve Harrington.

"Sir, I swear, she has done nothing wrong. And if you think that a person like her could do anything remotely bad, you need to think again! She couldn't even hurt a fly, let alone do whatever you're accusing her of." Steve rants, getting slightly angry.

I laugh at him and Hopper's reaction. "Let me handle this." I say, pushing Steve out the door as he keeps trying to 'save' me. As we make it out the door I slap Steve upside the head again.

"Ow! How is that any way to thank your savior?" He whines. I start to repeatedly slap his arm.

"You. Idiot. I wasn't in any trouble!" I squeal, laughing. He laughs along with me, grabbing my hands to stop my assult. "Then why were you called down here?"

I stop my laughing and look down. It finally began to sink in. My baby brother is missing. "Hey, what's wrong? What happened in there?" He asks, noticing my mood. "It's nothing. But you need to go back to class before you get in trouble." I say, trying to push him away.

"No. You need to tell me what's going on. We haven't talked in a while, just us two." He says, still trying to help.

"It's just that..." I say, getting close to tears. Now is the first time that i'll actually admit that he's gone. "Will's gone. And we don't know where he is." I sigh, letting a stray tear out. Steve's eyes widen. He knows how much I adore my little brother. He opens his arms, knowing I need a hug. I let him embrace me as I try to calm down.

"Hey, it'll be alright. I'm sure they'll find him in no time." He says, trying to help, and it does help. Somehow, Steve is always able to make me feel better. The sound of a door opening catches our attention. It was Hopper. "I hope I'm not interrupting something." He says with a smirk.

"No, you're not. Did you need anything else?" I ask awkwardly. I let go of Steve, blushing like crazy, as I walk up to Hopper. "No, I don't need anything. Just wanted to tell you that you should just rest at home for the rest of the day. It might help." He says. _Man, sometimes Hopper can act like a total dad._ I nod my head as I smile. "Thanks Hop, I think that's exactly what i'll do."

I grab my things from the office as I wave goodbye to Steve. "Call me if you need anything, okay?" he asks.

"I will. I promise. I'll see you later." I say as I climb into my car.

**Time Skip**

"Sarah! Sarah, pick up!" I hear a voice say. The voice is coming from my walkie-talkie. A few years ago, when the party was first formed, I had bought the boys these walkie-talkies so we could talk to each other without our parents eaves dropping. I grab the walkie-talkie and answer. "What Mike? What's wrong?" I ask worridly. I haven't been able to talk to him since yesterday. Him and Will were extreamly close, so he would probably be taking this pretty hard.

"The guys and I are going to be looking for Will. And we wanted to ask if you'll come with. So, are you up for it?" Mike asks.

I think it over. If I go, no one knows what will happen, but if I stay, the boys might get hurt. And maybe Will might be out there. "I'll be on my way, tell the boys to meet up at the beginning of the woods at Mirkwood." I say, rushing to write a note for my mom.

"Are you bringing your car?" Mike asks.  
"No. It'll be too noticable. I'll just ride my bike." I say as I climb out my window. "Alright, see you there. Over and out." Mike says, cutting the line.

I walk along the side of my house until I stop at the front entrance. I walk over to my old bike, I haven't ridden it for a while, but I stop as I stare at the front window. I look in through the window, looking at my family. Mom looks absolutely horrible now that Will is missing. Jonathan doesn't look any better. Will's disappearance has effected us horribly. I feel bad for leaving them when they're in this state, but my boys need me. So I hop on my bike and take off.

**Time Skip**

"Hey boys!" I yell as I jump off my bike. I pull my hood up, since now it was heavily raining.

"Sarah!!" The boys cheer. They run up to me and hug me. "Boys are you okay?" I worry. I haven't seen them all day, so I don't know how they're handling Will's disappearance. "We're fine, but we need to hurry." Mike says, rushing us into the woods. I nod and walk ahead of all of them. If anything happens, i'll be infront of them to protect them.

"Will!!" Mike yells. We've been searching for a few minutes. "I've got your X-Men 134!" Dustin calls out. "Will where are you!?!" I shout. I'm beginning to regret letting the boys do this. I know they just want to find Will, I do too, but we could all get sick, or hurt, out here in the rain.

"Guys, I think we should turn back." Dustin says, getting scared. I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to make him feel better. "Seriously, Dustin? You wanna be a baby, then go home already!" Lucas yells. "Lucas!" I scold.

"I'm just being realistic!"

"No, you're just being a big sissy!"

"Do you think Will went missing because he ran into something bad? And we're going to the exact same spot where he was last seen? And we have no weapons or anything?" Dustin panics, making me worry. "Dustin, shut up! Just calm down. We'll be fine." I say, looking him in the eyes.

"Did you guys here that?" Mike asks. There was rustling coming from behind us. The boys scream as the rustling gets closer. We turn around and shine our flashlights on whatever was there. I push the boys behind me, expecting the worst, but all there was, was a little girl. She only wore an oversized t-shirt. Her head is shaved and she looks about the boys' age. She looked more terrified than us.

"Woah." I breathe out. _We need to get her out of this rain. What's going on in Hawkins?_


	3. All Too Familiar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah and the gang find a little girl in the woods and they decide to help her. But why does it make Sarah feel weird?

**Sarah's POV**

"Get inside, quick." I say, ushering the party and the mysterious girl into Mike's basement. We sit the girl down and start to freak out. "Is there a number we can call for your parents?" Mike asks

"Where's your hair? Do you have cancer?" Dustin asks.

"Did you run away?"

"Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Is that blood?" I slap Lucas's hand away from the girl. "Stop it! You're freaking her out!" I scold. "She's freaking me out!" He argues. I run my hand down my face in annoyance. _It's too late for this shit._ "I think she's deaf." Dustin says, clapping his hands. The girl jumps back, seemingly scared as Dustin looks at us. "Not deaf."

"All right, that's enough, all right? She's just scared and cold." Mike says while he walks over to a hamper. Thunder strikes, causing the girl to jump. "Here, these are clean. Okay?" Mike says, returning with the clothes. The girl grabs the clothes and brings them to her face. She stands up and begins to lift the edge of her shirt, "No no no no no." The boys yell. I reach forward and stop her hands. "Over there. That's the bathroom. Privacy. Get it?" I say and let go of her hands. I lead her to the bathroom, letting the boys freak out on their own.

I go to close the bathroom door to give her privacy, but she grabs it, stopping me. She looks scared, almost terrified. "You don't want it closed?" I ask. "No." She replies. So she can talk. "Um, how about we just keep the door open a little bit. Is that better?" I ask, leaving the door open a crack. "Yes." She says. _Who is this girl? And why does this feel familiar?_ I nod my head and leave to let her get changed. I walk back to the boys, joining in on their conversation.

"This is mental." Dustin says. "At least she can talk!" Mike says, almost excitedly. "She said 'yes' and 'no'. Your three year-old sister says more." Lucas argues.

"She tried to get naked!" Dustin cries. I chuckle at his contribution to the conversation. "There's something seriously wrong with her. Like, wrong in the head." Lucas says, further insulting the girl. "She just went like..." Dustin says, demonstrating himself taking off clothes. He knocks his hat off and I laugh. "I bet she escaped from Pennhurst." Lucas continues. I hit the back of his head. "Lucas!"

"From where?" Mike asks, looking annoyed. "He's talking about the nuthouse in Kerley County." I say glaring at Lucas who is now rubbing the back of his head.

"Seriously though, think about it. That would explain her shaved hair and why she's so crazy." He says, trying to get his point across. "Why she went..." Dustin says, demonstrating it again. "She's an escapee is the point. She's probably a psycho."

"Lucas, all she is, is a scared little girl. Maybe she's foreign, and there were different rules from where she's from?" I say, trying to make sense of this situation. "We should have never brought her here." Lucas says, getting more frustrated.

"So you just wanted to leave her out in that storm?" Mike asks.

"Yes! We went out to find Will, not another problem." Lucas says.

"I think we should tell your mom." Dustin says. Lucas agrees and Mike tries to argue. "Mike, they do kind of have a point." I say, putting my hand on his shoulder. He harshly brushes it off. "Who's crazy now?!?"

"How is that crazy?"

"Cause we weren't supposed to be out. If I tell my mom and she tells your mom and your mom and your mom...." Mike says, pointing at each of us. "Our houses become Alcatraz." Lucas mumbles.

"Exactly. We'll never find Will."

"All right, here's the plan. She sleeps here tonight." I say, placing my hands on my hips. "Why can't she stay at your place?" Dustin asks. "Because if I bring her to my house, the place that has no extra rooms and a grieving mother, don't you think it will be pretty noticable?" I ask. The boys nod their heads, so I contiue. "Okay, in the morning, she sneaks around the house, goes to the front door and rings the doorbell. Mrs.Wheeler will answer and, hopefully, know exactly what to do." I say.

"Tomorrow night, we go back out. This time, we'll find Will." Mike says, getting excited. I groan. _Dammit! Not where I wanted them to go._ Lucas and Dustin gather their stuff and make their way to the basement steps. I walk with them to see them off. Mike is with the girl, trying to make her comfortable. "You really think she's psycho?" Dustin asks Lucas.

"Wouldn't want her in my house." Lucas mutters as he walks up the stairs. I sigh and run my hand down my face. "Mental." Dustin sighs. I nod, agreeing, as he leaves. _This is just too much shit for one day._ I walk over to Mike and sit down. "Hey, I never asked for your name." Mike says. The girl doesn't answer, but she does raise her wrist. She pulls her sleeve down and shows me a sight I never thought I would see again.

_011..._

I instincly rub my wrist. The place where I have the same scar, but of a different number. 003. "Is that real?" Mike asks, reaching forward. The girl, or should I say, Eleven, pulls back her hand and glares. "Sorry, I've just never seen a kid with a tattoo before. What does it mean? Eleven?" He apologizes. Eleven looks at us and I sigh. "That's her name." I say, quietly. She nods as Mike repeats her name. "Ok, well, my name's Mike, short for Micheal. And this is Sarah. Maybe we can call you 'El'. Short for Eleven."

She nods as Mike bids her goodnight. As he leaves, I look at El. "Hey, El. I'm going to be here for you, no matter what. I hope you can trust me, well, because..." I trail off as I pull up my fingerless gloves. "I come from the same place." El reaches her hand out and touches the scar. "You know bad men?" She asks looking up at me. I nod my head and smile down at her. "I swear to you that I'll help you no matter what." I whisper to her. I pull my hand away and tug down my gloves.

"I'll be back tomorrow." I say opening the door. She nods and lies down. I walk outside to my bike, now soaking wet. _Oh well._ That poor girl, having to live through everything at the lab. As I ride home, I can't help but wonder what else the lab has been doing all these years. What other things are they making over there?


	4. Just Like Her

**Sarah's POV**

"....we need to make 200, 300 copies?" I hear mom say as I walk into the living room. I woke up late today. After last night's events, I desperately needed the sleep. First, my brother went missing. Next, the boys and I found a random girl in the woods. Finally, said girl, is from the same place where I escaped years ago. That's a lot to process in just one night.

"Mom, mom, calm down." I hear Jonathan say. Mom continues to ramble on about making missing signs for Will. She's really broken up about this. Suddenly, someone knocks on the door. "I'll get it, Mom." I say as I walk to the door. Behind the door was Hopper. "Hey Chief." I say, letting him inside. Mom walks up to him and they start to talk.

"We went all the way to Cartersville." Hopper says, looking down. "And?" I ask, walking forward. He sighs as he looks at me. "Nothing."

I let out a sigh as Mom cries. _Where could he be?_ Mom, trying to calm down, leads Hopper to our phone. I now notice that the phone looks burnt. _What happened while I was gone?_ "Storm barbecued this pretty good." Hopper calmly states.

"The storm? You don't think that's weird?" Mom scoffs. "Can we trace who made the call? Contact the--" Jonathan starts, but Hopper interrupts him. "It doesn't work like that. You're sure it was Will? Flo said you only heard some breathing." Hopper says, trying to help. "No, it was him. It was Will. He was scared." Mom says, rambling on even more.

"It was probably just a prank call."

"Who would do that?" I ask, almost suprised he would take that into consideration.

"Well, this thing's been on TV. Brings out all the crazies." Hopper replies. Mom continues to argue with him. I look at my watch and see that if I don't leave soon, I'll be late for school.

"You think I wouldn't know my own son's breathing. Wouldn't you know your daughter's?" Mom yells, crossing the line. Hopper stays quiet. "Mom!" I whisper-shout. Hopper walks away and continues. "You hear from Lonnie yet?" He asks, making my body stiffen. Mom shakes her head 'no'.

Hopper goes to leave, saying he'll check on Lonnie. "Oh come on, you're wasting your time!" Mom yells. Jonathan goes after him, leaving Mom and I alone in the house."Do you think it was Will?" She ask, looking at me with desperation in her eyes. I shrug. "I don't know. I hope it was, but I just don't know." I mumble. I shuffle around, not really knowing what to do.

"Hey. I'm gonna head to school, do you want me to go anywhere beforehand?" I ask as I awkwardly grab my keys. She shakes her head and just waves me off. Before I leave, I look at her once more. "We'll find him, I promise." She smiles in thanks.

I walk outside to see Jonathan talking with Hopper. "Stay with your mom." I hear Hopper say. I sigh as Hopper climbs into his car. "See you later at the precinct!" I yell as I wave to him. He waves back as he drives away. "Hey, Jonathan, you need a ride to school?" I ask as I get into my car.

"No, I'll just stay with mom for a little longer. You go ahead." He waves me off. I start the engine and look back at him. "Fine, just....tell me if anything changes." I sigh. He nods and waves goodbye as I do the same. I pull onto the road and drive off. As I make my way to school, I can't help but wonder if Eleven appearing wasn't just a coincidence. What if she has something to do with Will's disappearance?

**Time Skip**

I slam my locker shut after I take out my chem book. I turn to leave, but I see Barb and Nancy heading my way. "Barb! Nancy! Hey!" I yell. I haven't really talked to Barb in a while. We used to be really close, but we drifted apart once we got into highschool. She started to hang out with Nancy more and I started working. They look my way and wave. "Hey, what's that?" I ask, pointing at the papers in Barb's hands.

"Just some notes for Nancy's test." Barb says, showing them to me. "Nance, you'll do fine. I don't think you really need this." I say, patting Nancy's shoulder. We start to walk down the hall, quizzing Nancy as we go. I go to quiz Nancy, but I feel someone tap my shoulder. I turn around to see Steve. He takes the notes out of my hands and starts to flip through them. Following him were the two biggest assholes at our school. Tommy H and Carol.

I groan as they get closer. "I keep telling you, you got this. Don't worry. Now, on to more important matters. My dad has left town on a conferance and my mom's gone with him. So are you in?" Steve says.

"In for what?" Nancy asks. I shake my head, how can Nancy not get what he's implying. "No parents. Big house." Carol hints. "A party?" Nancy asks, finally getting the hint. Nancy tries to refuse the offer, but Steve keeps pushing. "Come on, it'll just be us. So, are you in or out?" Steve tries to persuade her. Before Nancy can answer, Carol gains our attention. "Oh god, look."

She signals us to look behind us. Behind us was my brother, Jonathan. He's putting up missing posters of Will on the bulliton board. _When did he get here? I had the car, how did he get a ride?_ "Should we say something?" Nancy asks. I smile at her, at least someone isn't treating him like a freak. "I don't think he speaks." Carol teases. My hands start to shake as I resist punching Carol in the nose. I hate it when people make fun of him. Barb places her hand on my shoulder, calming me down.

"How much do you want to bet he killed him?" Tommy H says, pushing me over the limit. "God, you're such an asshole. He didn't fucking kill our brother! What kind of asshole even suggests that?!?" I yell at him. I start to walk away, but Tommy grabs my arm. "Aw, come on. It's just a little teasing, it's nothing to get mad about."

I pull my arm from his grip and glare. "Get fucked." I growl as I turn to walk away. I hear him laugh at me, but I keep walking. _Damn asshole....Ignorant prick....Why does everyone make fun of Jonathan? Just because he doesn't talk to everyone, doesn't mean he's a freak._

"Hey, Sarah! Wait up!" I hear someone call me. That someone was Steve. "What do you want Harrington?"

I stop so he can catch up to me. He finally catches up to me, huffing and puffing as he stops. "Hey, are you okay? You got pretty angry." He says, finally catching his breath. "Oh yes, I'm perfectly fine. It wasn't like Tommy suggested that my brother killed our younger brother." I say, sarcasm evident in my tone. He raises his hands to surrender. "Yeah, sorry, stupid question."

"You think?"

"Just, ignore him. You know he's just an asshole." Steve says, trying to calm me down. I sigh and rub my face. I groan in annoyance. "Hey, you still owe me a favor, remember?" He asks, completely changing the subject. _Wish I could change subjects that smoothly._ "Yes, I remember. You wouldn't let me take that extra shift without promising that." I say, taking my hand off my face.

"Well, it's time for you to pay that back. How about you come to my party? It'll be a nice change from all the stress." He suggests as he places his hand on his hip. _He wants me to go to the party? The party where those assholes and his girlfriend will be? Is he serious?_ By the look on his face, he seems pretty serious. "UGH! Fine! But I won't like it one bit." I say as I turn to him. He lets out a small cheer and gives me a side hug. I laugh slightly as I blush at his action.

"Awesome! I'll see you later!" He says before he runs down the hallway. I wave at him and sigh. _God, keep your emotions under control!_

**Time Skip**

I walk out to my car as the bell rings a second time, signalling the beggining of lunch. All I want to do is go get a decent burger for lunch. Sadly, luck just doesn't seem to be on my side. I hear a voice come from the back seat of my car. "Sarah! Come in, please! This is important!" I forgot that I brought my walkie-talkie with me today.

"Mike, what happened?" I urgently ask.

"It's Eleven."

I freeze. _What's wrong with Eleven?!?_ "I'm on my way." Who needs class anyway?

**Time Skip**

I pull up to the Wheeler house and knock on the door. Before too long, Mike opens the door. He rushes me inside and up the stairs. "What's wrong with El, Mike?"

He doesn't answer. All he does is push me into his room. Eleven was there, sitting on his bed, looking at me awkwardly. He lets go of my hand and walks up to El. "Go on. Do it again." He says.

Eleven, as if understanding what he's asking, raises her hand towards the door behind me. Suddenly, the door slams shut and locks, without anyone touching it. _Telekinisis....that's new._ Eleven's nose starts to bleed after pulling her stunt. I rush to her and pull out a napkin from the side table. I dab the blood trying to clean it up.

"Y-you're not suprised?!?" Mike yells in wonder. I look back at him, still wiping up El's nose. _I guess someone was going to find out eventually._ "Well it's not very suprising when you can do the same." I say, cooly.

"What!?!"

I sigh out in annoyance. "Mike, promise me you won't tell anyone until I say so." I say. He nods his head, still confused. I pull off my gloves and snap my fingers. I feel a familiar, warm feeling pass through my arms. As the warm feeling reaches my hands, my left hand catches fire and my right hand creates a fountain of water.

"How are you even doing that? Magic?" He asks, slightly stepping away from me. I notice Eleven looking at my hands in wonder. I close my hands and wipe them on eachother. As I open my hands, the fire and the water disappear. "It ain't magic, Mike. Just some bad guy's doing." I say as I show him my wrist. He gasps as he sees the number.

"Y-you're like her?" He asks, almost speechless.

"Yeah, and it's important we keep this a secret from all adults. Now, we need to gather the party and tell them the truth." I say, wiping the blood from my nose. He nods and gets to calling the boys. _What have I gotten myself into? Who knows if the lab might get wind that I'm still around. Let's just hope the boys will be able to keep a secret._


	5. The Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Mike knows, what will the others think?

**Sarah's POV**

"Mike, calm down. They'll be here soon." I say as Mike starts to pace. Right now, we were waiting for Dustin and Lucas because Mike wanted them to see what El and I could do. Reluctantly, I agreed to let them know about our pasts.

"Well, they need to hurry up! This is important!" Mike whines. Suddenly, there is a knock from the door. "Told you." I say, smugly. He groans and pulls open the door. He pulls the boys inside and pushes us into his room. They take one look at Eleven and look back at Mike with open mouths and wide eyes.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Lucas yells. "She knows about Will." Mike says before Lucas could go any farther. I stiffen. Mike didn't tell me about this. I look back over at El and we lock eyes. I could tell that she felt uncomfortable, so I move over to sit on Mike's bed and hold her hand. Suprisingly, she doesn't move her hand away.

"Do you seriously think it was a coincidence that we found her at Mirkwood? The same place where Will went missing?" Mike pushes as Lucas tries to deny the evidence. Dustin agrees with him and looks over at Lucas. "And she said bad people were after her. I think they took Will too. She might know what happened to him." He pushes. I look down, thinking about the 'bad men' as Eleven calls them. These 'Bad Men' are the scientists who forced us to do experiments that ended in nothing but pain. I was hoping that maybe they were stopped, but I really need to stop hoping for things that may never happen.

"Then why doesn't she tell us?" Lucas argues, pointing at Eleven. They walk over to us and I feel Eleven squeeze my hand in anxiety. "Do you know where he is?" Lucas asks calmly. She doesn't respond, making him angrier. He grabs her shoulders and yells at her. "Do you know where Will is?" I push him off of her and stand in front of her. "Stop it, Lucas. You're scaring her!" I scold.

"She should be scared! If you know where he is, then tell us!" Lucas retaliates. I look down in shame. I guess they would have to find out eventually. "She can't tell you, even if she knows." I mutter.

"Why not? We have to take her to Mike's mom." Lucas interrogates. Luckily Mike interrupts me before I can spill my secret. "No! Eleven said that telling any adult will put us in danger."

"What kind of danger?"

"Her name is Eleven?"

Mike tries to explain her name to Lucas, but Dustin stops him. "Mike, what kind of danger?!"

"Danger danger." I say as I lift my hand and turn it into a finger gun. I aim my hand at my temple and pretend to pull a trigger. Lucas starts to get annoyed and yells at us. "No, we're telling your mom!" He heads to the door and pulls it open. I move to stop him, but the door was slammed shut. He tries to open it again, but the door is slammed shut once more. This time, it locks. They turn around to see Eleven standing, blood dripping from her nose. "No."

I sigh as I grab the napkin from before and start to wipe her nose. "We really need to work on that." I say as I throw the napkin away."What's going on, Sarah?" Dustin asks, fear in his voice. Mike looks at me, almost begging for me to tell them. "What I say, stays in this room. Understand?" I ask, becoming serious. They all nod their heads, Lucas looking annoyed yet intruiged. I sit down on the bed and sigh.

"A while back, before I got adopted by Will's mom, I escaped from a place. It was the same place where El came from. And I'm just like her, believe it or not." I say, not looking at the boys. I've told them everything, except for this secret. This is the only thing I keep from them. I've never told anyone, not even my family. "That's why I'm not suprised to see that she has powers, because, well, I have them too." I sigh.

"Prove it."

"What?" I ask at Lucas's outburst.

"How can we believe that? You might just be trying to sympathize with her! Prove it." Lucas says, pointing at El. I sigh in annoyance as I put my hands in front of me. Mike puts his arms in front of the others, knowing what happens next. I feel the familiar heat return once more. It travels down my arms and to my hands as fire and water erupt from my palms. dustin and Lucas back away in suprise as I smirk.

"That enough proof for ya?" I ask as I close my hands, the heat fading away. My nose starts to bleed so I wipe it with my sleeve, not really caring if it stains. I hear Dustin let out a sigh. "Wicked."

"I'm sorry I've never told you, it's just that if I ever said anything, word might get around." I say, looking away. I know the others might forgive me, but Lucas, I'm not so sure. He has always had a short temper, and he's not always quick to forgive. "Lucas, are you okay?" I ask, now noticing that he hasn't said anything yet.

"Yeah, whatever. I just don't know how to react." He sighs. _That's good enough for me_. I smile at him and look at Mike. "So, what are we gonna do when your mom gets home?" I ask as I get off the bed.

"Uh, I'll just ask if you guys can eat here tonight. She'll probably say yes, so it won't be a problem." He shrugs. I nod my head. Time for the waiting game.

**Time Skip**

Mrs.Wheeler just finished making dinner, so I decide to help her set the table. "Thank you Sarah, but you really don't need to do this." She thanks me. I wave her off as I place the plates down. "There's no need to thank me, Mrs.Wheeler. I'm the one who should be thanking you." I say as I place the last plate. She laughs and waves me off. "Go get Nancy, will you?" She asks. I nod and walk to the stairs.

 _Please let Nancy be decent._ As I make it to her room I hear her voice. It sounds like she's on the phone with someone. I knock on her door, now feeling awkward, as I wait outside her door. She opens her door, wearing an annoyed look, but it quickly changes to a suprised one. "Whoa, no need to be hostile, Nance." I say as I raise my hands in surrender.

"Sorry, I thought you were Mike. What's up?" She says, running her hand down her face.

"Your mom says its time for dinner." I say as I point to the stairs. I turn to leave, but she grabs my arm. "Hey, you're going to Steve's party, right?" She asks as I turn around. I nod my head, now confused.

"Do you wanna catch a ride with Barb and I?" She asks, smiling at me. I laugh as I look down. "No thanks, Nancy. I brought my own car, and I don't wanna cramp yours and Barb's style." I say as I rub my neck. She smiles at me and laughs. We head downstairs and sit in our seats. I'm sat in between Nancy and Mike.

We sit in awkward silence, the boys and I just moving around our food. I already told the boys that I can't help them tonight, and they tried to keep me here, but they understood that my decision was final. Mrs.Wheeler notices our low mood. "Is something wrong with the meatloaf?" She asks, giving us the side eye. "Oh, no, I ate a big lunch. Sorry." I say, making up an excuse. The others make up excuses as well, and Mrs.Wheeler gives us all a weird look.

"So there's this special assembly thing tonight, for Will at the school field. Barb's driving." Nancy says, breaking the silence.

"Why am I now hearing about this?" Her mother asks. Quickly, catching on to what Nancy was trying to do, I try to help. "Sorry Mrs.Wheeler, that's my fault. I asked her if she wanted to go today because I didn't want to go through this by myself." I look down, trying to sell the sad act. "Okay, just be back by 10. That goes for you too, Sarah. I'll call your mom to be sure." Mrs.Wheeler says, pointing her knife at us.

She continues to cut up her food as she continues. "You should bring the boys."

"NO!"

She looks at the boys weirdly as I look down, trying not to laugh at their outburst. Mrs.Wheeler starts to try to convince them to go, but I suddenly see movement behind her. It was Eleven. She came down the stairs and made her way to the basement door. Mike spits out his milk, alerting his mother. Dustin, trying to cause a diversion, hits the table to gain her attention. Nancy and her mom look at him weirdly, causing him to blush. "Sorry. Spasm."

I place my fork down and look up. "Well, if Nancy and I want to make it to the assembly, we should be heading there now. Barb should be here soon. Thank you for the dinner." I say as I stand up. I go to grab my plate, but she stops me.

"Don't worry about it sweetie. You two can go along, I'll clean up." She says with a smile. I smile back at her and place my hand on Nancy's shoulder. She stands up and grabs my arm. "Bye mom!" She yells as she drags me outside. Barb's car was already in the driveway, next to mine. I wave at her as I get into my car. "I'll meet you guys there." I say as I start the engine.

As I pull out of the driveway, I start to relax. _Maybe I can trust the boys with this secret. They haven't let me down yet. Let's just hope they can keep Eleven a secret._ As I drive down the road, music plays on my radio. Suddenly, _'Should I stay or Should I go?'_ started to play. This was Will's favorite song. We would always listen to this after a tough day. My eyes start to water, but I quickly wipe my eyes.

 _No, I've held it in for this long, I can't break now._ I finally see Steve's house in front of me. I park on the side of the street and get out. Tommy's car was already here. _Great, this asshole's here._ I see Nancy and Barb walking up the street. I wait at the steps for them.

"What happened to driving here?" I tease as Barb groans. "She didn't want the neighbors to see us."

I laugh at their faces and walk up the stairs. Inside, we could hear music playing. I calmed down, now that Barb and Nancy were here. Nancy reaches and rings the doorbell. I could tell that the girls were nervous, but I've been to Steve's parties hundreds of times. All they do is smoke and drink. There's nothing to freak out about. Quickly, the door opens to reveal Steve. "Hello ladies."

I guess it's time to party! 


	6. Not So Great Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party Time!

Sarah's POV

Steve quickly ushers us to his backyard. Tommy H and Carol were already outside and sitting together on a lounge chair. I rush over to a free lounge chair and lie down. Nancy and Barb awkwardly follow. Steve walks over and grabs a beer from the cooler. He tosses it to me and I barely catch it.

"Dude, you know I don't drink." I say, giving him a confused glance.

"C'mon Byers, lighten up. Live a little." He says, giving me his famous smirk. I roll my eyes and place the beer on the ground next to me. He grabs another and starts to dig through his pocket. He pulls out an x-acto knife and starts to cut the can of beer.

He makes a small hole and tips the entire beer back into his mouth. Fairly quickly, he finishes the beer and tosses the can away. He smirks at Nancy, making me fake gag. Barb laughs and pushes me. "Was that supposed to impress me?" Nancy asks, rolling her eyes. I chuckle and look away, avoiding Steve's playful glare.

"What, you're not? C'mon, how about you try?" He says, handing her a beer. She starts to reject it, but Steve still tries. "Please! Sarah will do it if you do." He says.

"I did not agree to that!" I yell, raising my hand. He sends me a pleading look that just melts my heart. _Come on, Sarah! Just resist those puppy dog eyes!_ Sadly, I just can't resist. I groan and grab the beer. I walk over to them and hold my hand out. "Fine, but one beer." I say. He puts the knife in my hand, a small smirk on his features, knowing he's won.

I make a hole in my can and hand the knife to Nancy. Once she's done making a hole, we both look at each other. I count down and we drink. I let the beer flow into my mouth as I chug the drink. Some of it spills onto my cheek. The beer sends a warm feeling through my body. I finish the drink and crush the can. Nancy finishes a second later. I could hear the boys cheering as I wipe my mouth.

I drop the can of beer and walk back over to my chair. Barb is still standing next to it. "Hey Barb, you should try." Nancy says, pointing the knife at Barb.

"No, I think I'm good." Barb says, putting her hands out. Tommy and Carol start to boo her and I send them a glare. Nancy gives her a pleading look, making Barb break. "Barb, you don't have to if you don't want to." I whisper before she walks over to Nancy. She gives me a thankful smile, but shakes her head.

She walks over to the cooler and pulls out a beer. Nancy hands her the knife, giving her a thankful smile. "It can't be that hard." She mumbles as she tries to cut the can. She starts to struggle with it, putting more pressure on the knife.

I stand up and walk over to her. "That's not a good idea, Barb. Let me help y-" I say, but I'm too late. Barb puts too much pressure on the knife and it slips. It cuts her palm, making her drop the knife. "Shit!" I say as I grab her hand. Blood blooms from the cut.

"Are you okay?" Nancy asks, standing up.

"I'm fine. Where's your bathroom?" Barb says, putting pressure on her hand. "Oh, it's down past the kitchen, to the left." Steve says standing up, but I put my hand out. "I-I'll show her." I say.

I help lead Barb as she thanks both of us. "You didn't have to help me." She whispers. "What are friends for?" I say, walking into the bathroom. She sits down on the bathtub as I look for the first aid kit. I dig through Steve's cupboard, laughing as I see his hairspray. _I knew it!_

"You like him, don't you?" Barb says out of the blue. I look at her, eyes wide. "What? What do you mean?" I ask, putting my hair behind my ear. I straighten up as I fully face her. She smirks at me. "You heard me. It's kind of obvious." She laughs. I close the cupboard and gulp.

"It is?" I walk up to her, a rag in my hand. I couldn't find the first aid kit, so this will have to do. I crouch down in front of her as she sticks her hand out. "Yeah, but lucky for you, they're both oblivious." She says as I wrap her hand.

"Why don't you just tell him?" She asks as I finish wrapping her hand. "It's not that easy. And he's dating Nancy for crying out loud! I couldn't do that to them." I say as I look up at her. She nods along, understanding my point

"Well, you're all patched up!" I say, wiping my hands on my pants. She gives me a small smile, to which I return. "You're a good friend. You know that, right?" She says, looking me in the eye.

I smile and thank her. "C'mon, they're probably wondering why we're taking so long." I say as I stand up. I stick my hand out and she takes it with her good hand. "Hey, you won't tell anyone, right?" I ask, rubbing the back of my neck. She shakes her head and pretends to zip her lips.

We both walk out of the bathroom, seeing everyone rush inside. They're all soaked. _What happened while we were in the bathroom?_ Tommy and Carol are laughing as they race upstairs.

"You're gonna be the ones to clean the sheets!" Steve yells as they disappear down a hall. He leads Nancy up the stairs, but Barb stops her.

"Nancy, where are you going?" Nancy looks back at us with a sheepish smile. "Nowhere. Just...upstairs. To change. I, um, fell in the pool." She laughs and looks down. "Hey, why don't you just go home. I'll just...catch a ride or something." She says, looking away. My eyes widen in shock. _Did Nancy just do that?_

"Sarah, you're staying longer right? You can just give me a ride, right?" She asks. I look at her in shock. _I'm definately not staying any longer. I know exactly what they're gonna do, and I can't bear to be in the same house as them while they sleep with each other._ I shake my head as I look away. "Sorry Nance, I'm just gonna head home. My mom is probably worried about me." I say.

"Nance, this isn't you." Barb says, in an almost pleading manor. Nancy sighs and holds her blanket closer to herself. "Just...go ahead and go home, okay?" She says before she climbs up the stairs, not looking back. I watch her leave, feeling bad for Barb. She just left her for Steve.

I place my hand on Barb's shoulder as I give her a sympathetic look. "Hey, do you want me to walk you to your car? I'm leaving anyway." She brushes off my shoulder and gives me a small smile. "No, it's okay. I'm just gonna stay for a little longer. Maybe think a little." She starts to walk to the backyard.

I sigh and open the front door. I walk out to my car and open the car door. Before I get in the car, I look up at Steve's bedroom window. I can see him undressing, but I look away before I can see anything else. My heart breaks a little as I start the car. I drive off to my house, not wanting to think about Steve or Nancy. _Poor Barb..._

I pull up to my house and quietly sneak inside. No one is in the living room, but I can hear mumbling coming from Will's room. It sounds like Mom. It sounds like she's talking to someone. I knock on the door. "Mom? Is everything alright?" I get no answer.

I open the door to see a confusing sight. I could see Mom hunched over a lamp, talking to it. "Mom? What are you doing?" I ask as I walk over to her. She looks up at me, a frantic look in her eyes.

"Sarah! I-It's Will! He's talking through th-the lights. Come look!" She says, grabbing my hand. She pulls me onto the bed, making me sit down. I look at the lamp with an incredilous look. _Is she being serious?_

"O-okay. Um, Will? Are you really here?" I ask as I lean over to look closer at the lamp. Nothing happens. Mom frantically grabs hold of the lamp and starts talking to it. "Please Will, it's your sister, Sarah. Please, we want to know that you're okay!" She pleads. I put my hand on her shoulder and pull her back.

"Mom, you need to sleep. I'm sorry, but nothing's gonna hap-" I try to say, but I'm interrupted by music. Will's radio started playing. Mom jumps up and runs to it. It plays Will's favorite song, _Should I stay or should I go._

"See! He is here!" Mom cheers. I walk over to the radio and turn it off. "Mom, that's just a coincidence." I say as I look at her. She looks from the radio to me and grabs my hands. "Please Sarah, you have to believe me!" She pleads, tears appearing in her eyes. I try to talk, but the lamp suddenly turns on.

"Was that...." I ask, trailing off. Mom starts to smile as a tear falls from her eye. She starts to nod as she holds my hand. "Yes! Yes yes yes yes! It is!"

I cover my mouth with my free hand as a tear falls down my cheek. _How is this possible? He can't be in the dark place, can he?_ I walk over to the lamp and sit on the bed. "Will, is that really you?" I ask as I place my hand on the lamp. It glows brighter, making me smile. Mom comes up from behind me and hugs me.

"You always did light up every room, Will. Now, in a more literal sense." I joke as the lamp glows brighter. I hear Mom chuckle from behind me. "How is it that no matter what, you can still make jokes?" She asks, ruffling my hair. I laugh as I lean into her hug. "A gift, I guess." I sigh. We stay like that all night, trying to comunicate with Will. It helped calm Mom and I after everything that's been going on.


	7. We Call It A Demogorgon

**Sarah's POV**

I wake up to the sound of a door opening. I look over to see Jonathan opening the door. Next to me is Mom, huddled over a lamp. Last night, we tried talking to Will, but after a while he just stopped responding. Mom tried to get him to respond, but I eventually fell asleep.

"Mom?" Jonathan asks, gaining Mom's attention. She quickly stands up and gestures for Jonathan to come closer. I push myself up into a sitting position, waving him over as well. Just like she did to me, she pulls Jonathan onto the bed to sit beside her.

"It's Will, he... he's trying to talk to me." She stammers. Jonathan shakes his head. "He's trying to talk to you?"

"Th-through the lights."

"Mom-"

"I know. I know. Just...just watch." She says shakily. I lean forward and put my hand on her shoulder. "Will, your brother's here . Can you showed him what you showed me and Sarah, baby?" She asks.

Nothing happens for a few seconds, but the lamp suddenly lights up for only a second. "You see that?" Mom says, pointing at the lamp. Jonathan grabs her hands and makes her face him. "It's the electricity. It's acting up. It's the same thing that fried the phone."

"No! It is not the electricity, Jonathan. Something is going on here. Yesterday, the wall-" Mom freaks out, but I stop her. "What about the wall?" I ask.

"I don't know!"

"Mom, first the lights, then the wall?" Jonathan yells. Mom starts to tear up as she keeps talking. "I just know that Will is here. Maybe if I get more lamps-" Jonathan interrupts her again. "No, Mom. You don't need more lamps, you need to stop. He is just lost. People are looking for him, and they are going to find him."

Mom sniffles, but nods her head. I hug her as she cries a little. "Mom, why don't you get some sleep, huh?" I suggest. She nods her head and sniffles. I let her go and get off the bed. I leave the room and enter the kitchen. I grab my bag from the living room, which I left there last night, but I hear Jonathan enter the room.

"Why didn't you help me with Mom back there?" He asks as I stand up. I shrug. "Maybe because I believe her. I saw the light too, and I have faith. Jonathan, I need to get to school. Tell Mom that I left?" I say. I walk over to the door, ready to go to school, but Jonathan stops me again. "I'm gonna be looking for Will, you can come with me if you aren't busy hanging out with Harrington." He says before I walk away.

 _What does he mean by that?_ I walk over to my car and climb in.

**Time Skip**

I park my car in front of the school, when my walkie-talkie goes off. _Already, what trouble is going on now?_ I pick it up and answer. "Hello, what's going on?" I ask.

"Hey, it's Dustin, we have a plan to look for Will after school, and we want you to come with."Dustin says.

"What's the plan?" I ask, watching other kids arrive.

"We head out to Mirkwood and look for him. We're bringing weapons and provisions in case we encounter the demogorgon."

"The what?!?" I ask suddenly.

"Oh yeah, it's the thing that Eleven thinks is chasing Will." _Demogorgon....she doesn't mean that monster with no face, does she? It's a much easier name, that's for sure._

"O-okay, what time do we meet up?" I ask, trying to get back on task.

"Right after school, 3:15." He says.

"Okay, got it. I'll meet you guys then, but you guys need to head to school. See ya then." I say before signing off. I place my walkie-talkie on the passenger seat and get out of the car.

I quickly walk into school and start navigating my way to my locker. I put my bag away and grab my math textbook. I look over to see Nancy walking over to me, without Barb. _That's weird, they're usually together._ I close my locker and turn around to face her. "Hey Nance."

"Hey Sarah." She shyly says. She seems nervous. I place my hand on her shoulder and make her look at me. "Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?" I ask.

"It just feels like everyone's watching me, like they know that I..." She says, trailing off, but I get what she's trying to say. I laugh a little, hiding my pain, and take my hand away. "Don't worry, nobody knows, nobody would tell."

She laughs a little, but fixes her bag, still nervous. "Hey, do you know where Barb is? I didn't see her this morning." She asks. I just shake my head, feeling bad. "Sorry, I haven't. I was actually gonna ask you that too." I say, running my hand through my hair. _First Will, now Barb, she couldn't be there too, could she?_

Suddenly, the bell rings. We look at each other and chuckle. "Welp, I gotta head to math, see you in science, Nance." I say, turning a little. She says goodbye as well and we part ways.

**Time Skip**

I walk out of the building, ready to meet up with the party, but someone calls my name. "Hey Sarah, come get a look at this!" It was Tommy. He, and everyone else, were surrounding Jonathan. I quickly rush over. _What are they doing to Jonathan this time?_

 _"_ What's going on?" I ask. Steve's holding his backpack, while Nancy is holding some pictures. "Your brother here was taking some sneaky pictures of us at the party." Tommy says, taking the pictures from Nancy. It's just pictures and pictures of us lounging around the pool. "Jonathan, what is this?" I mumble.

Steve takes the pictures out of my hands and walks up to Jonathan. "You can see that he knows its wrong, but here's the thing about perverts, its hardwired into their heads." He says, tearing the pictures. "So, we'll have to take away his toy." He says, dropping the torn pictures.

He walks back over to his bag and pulls out Jonathan's camera. "Steve..." Nancy and I say, her in a pleading tone, mine in a warning tone. Tommy goes to push Jonathan away from getting his camera, but Steve stops him. "Hey, it's okay. Here you go man." He says, holding out the camera.

Jonathan goes to take it, but Steve tips it out of his hand, letting it fall to the ground. It shatters as soon as it hits the ground. Tommy and Carol laugh, but Steve keeps a serious face. I groan and cover my face. "Come on, let's go. The game's about to start." Steve says, walking away.

I sigh and crouch down to pick up the broken camera, and I could see Nancy pick up the picture scraps. I clean up the glass and the peices that fell off, and hand him the camera. "Here, I'm sorry. If you still wanted to look for Will, you could dome help me later." I suggest, but he just shakes his head.

"Alright." I sigh and stand up, leaving him and Nancy alone. _Dammit Steve, what the fuck was that?!_ I walk back over to my car and get in, ready to forget about what just happened and ready to look for Will.


	8. This Can't Be Real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No......

**Sarah's POV**

I park my car outside of the meeting spot, already seeing the boys and El there. I get out and start apologizing. "Sorry, sorry, sorry. There was some drama with some friends, and I had to deal with it." I say, walking up to them.

They just nod their heads and start walking, their bikes at their sides. I follow them through the trees, staying next to Dustin. "How you holding up, Dusty?" I ask him. He looks at me and laughs a little. "Good, I guess." He replies.

We keep walking in the woods, but Dustin suddenly grabs my hand. I smile at this. _Even after the chaos so far, he's still a little kid._ "So, about your powers...." He trails off. I laugh and squeeze his hand.

"Well, I do owe you some answers, so what do you wanna know?" I ask. He smiles and starts asking questions rapidly. "Where did you get them? Can you do anything else with them? Are you more like the Human Torch or Aquaman?"

I laugh again and hush him. "Alright, alright, alright. Calm down, Dustin! For starters, I got them when I was younger, but not in a good way. Second, besides the little tricks, they can be pretty useful. Finally, I'm better than both of them." He seems like he wants to add more, but he's hesitant.

"What is it?" I ask, making him stop. We were already in the back, so the others don't notice. He mumbles something, but I can't hear him. "Can you repeat that?"

"Why did you never tell us?" He asks shyly. I sigh and start walking, causing him to walk as well. _I don't know how to answer this, but he really should know._ "Well, Dusty, I couldn't tell you guys. I guess I was scared." I say, not knowing what to say. He just scoffs at that.

"You, scared?" He asks. I chuckle and squeeze his hand again. "Yeah, believe it or not, I get scared. A lot, actually. But now I know that I don't need to be scared. I got my family to look out for me, blood or otherwise." I say, looking forward. He just smiles and keeps walking.

I watch Eleven look at Mike with concern. "They hurt you?" She asks. _Mike is hurt?_ Mike just looks down. "I fell at recess." _Bullshit._

"Mike, friends don't lie." She tells him. _Huh, Mike told her that? Cute._ Mike scoffs, but keeps his head down. "I was tripped by this mouth breather, Troy, okay?" That makes me angry.

"That dipshit again? Mike are you sure you don't want me to deal with him?" I ask. This isn't the first time Troy and his friends have picked on Mike.

"Mouth breather? Dipshit?" Eleven asks. Mike just nods his head. "Yeah, like a dumb person. But only Sarah is allowed to say Dipshit."

"Why?"

"Because she owns it."

Eleven just nods her head, making me laugh. Her and Mike start talking about his school, making me smile. _Looks like Mike has a little crush._ Lucas and Dustin are fake gagging beside me. I hit the back of their heads and tell them to knock it off.

"Lucas, we're cool, right?" I ask, gaining his attention. He looks up at me and then looks away. "Y-yeah, we're good." He says, looking forward. I smile. _Seems like he's getting over it, slowly but surely. Thank God._

**Time Skip**

We've been walking for hours, following Eleven. The boys believe that she could find Will, and I believe it too. By now, the sun has already fallen, so we have to rely on the lights on the boys' bikes to see. We've finally made it out of the woods, leading us to my house?

Will's home? But he can't really be here, unless he found his way to our house again. "Here." She says, stopping.

"Yeah, this is where Will lives." Mike says, confused.

"Hiding."

"No, no, this is where he lives. He's missing from here, understand?" Mike asks, not understanding. Lucas drops his bike and walks over to Mike. "What are we doing here?"

"She said he's hiding here." Mike says.

"I swear, if we walked all the way out here for nothing-" Dustin whines, but Lucas interrupts him.

"That's exactly what we did! I told you she didn't know what the hell she was talking about!" Lucas yells.

"Lucas!" I yell.

Mike turns to Eleven and huffs. "Why did you bring us here?" He demands. Eleven starts to stutter, so I try to help her. "Guys, just calm down. What if she does know. What if Will is here, just not now?" I suggest, struggling to help. _God, it's so hard to explain without them getting angry._

They look at me weirdly. Lucas scoffs and looks at Mike. "We should have gone to the police like we planned." He scoffs.

"We are not calling the cops!" Mike yells. This starts an argument between them, but I'm more focused on Dustin. He steps forward, and is just staring out into the road. I look at where he's looking, and see flashing lights. _Police? Oh no...._

"Guys?" Dustin says, trying to get their attention. They still don't stop. "Guys!" He yells, making them turn around. The sirens have gotten louder.

"Will..." Mike whispers. They all run to their bikes. "Shit, what do I do?" I yell at them. Dustin climbs onto his bike and looks back at me. "Just run and follow the cars." He says before pedaling off with the others.

 _Great, now I gotta run._ I quickly run after them, trying to keep up. I keep following them through trees and down the road, my lungs aching, but I don't stop until I see them slow down. We stopped at the base of the quarry.

There's tons of police cars out here. I run up to the kids and walk over to one of the cars. They're getting something out of the water. It's a body. I could see Hopper helping out. _That...that can't be...._

"It's not Will, it can't be." Mike pleads, holding onto the car. Dustin and Lucas are holding my hands, tightly. They bring the body out of the water, letting us see it clearer. Lucas squeezes my hand, taking in a shaky breath. "It's Will. It's really Will." He whispers.

I feel a tear fall down my cheek as I shake my head. _It can't be. This can't be real, it just can't be him_. Mike walks back to his bike, making us turn around to look at him.

"Mike.." Eleven tries, but Mike cuts her off. "Mike what?! You were supposed to help us find him alive. You said that he was alive! Why did you lie to us?" Mike yells at her.

"What is wrong with you?" He yells, making El tear up. "Mike.." I whisper, but he doesn't listen. He storms off to his bike and climbs on. "Mike, come on. Don't do this." Lucas pleads, but that doesn't stop him.

"Mike, where are you going?" Dustin asks, but Mike is already pedaling away. I let go of Lucas's hand and wipe my face. They all look at me, but I look at the ground.

Lucas sighs sadly and walks over to his bike, leaving too. Dustin tugs on my hand, making me look down at him. "Sarah, you okay?" He asks. I nod slowly, plastering a fake smile on my face. "Y-yeah. I just need to get home. You do too." I say, walking over to Eleven.

"Come on, I'll drive you two home." I say, walking away. They quickly follow me. I shakily grab their hands, for my sake, and walk in the direction I left my car, not wanting to let Dustin and Eleven see the tears falling down my face. _That couldn't have been Will, he's in the dark place, but why does this feel so real?_


	9. I Knew I Was Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I knew it...

**Sarah's POV**

I walk inside of my house and close the door. I had just dropped off Dustin and Eleven, so now I have to deal with Mom and Jonathan. Hopper is in the living room with Mom. They look up at me with solemn looks in their eyes. "Sarah, where have you been?" Mom asks with a shakey voice. I take a shaky breath, but I break.

Tears start streaming from my eyes as I let go. They both come to my side as sobs rack my body. They rub my back, but it doesn't stop the tears. I hug Mom tightly and soak her shirt. "M-mom....W-Will..." I try, but she shushes me.

"I know baby, I know." She says with a shaky voice, petting my hair. My knees go weak but they keep me up. They keep me up until my exhaustion hits me, making me fall asleep on my mom's shoulder.

**Time Skip**

"Will!" I yell, shooting up from the couch. I'm breathing heavily. I woke up from the strangest dream. Will was there, and he wasn't doing so well. He was in Castle Byers, and he seemed scared. I tried calling out to him, but he couldn't hear me. I only woke up because there was a growling sound geting closer.

I look around and see Mom in the kitchen, looking through a hole in the wall. "Mom?" I ask, getting off the couch. She looks at me and walks over.

"Hey, morning. How are you feeling?" She asks, holding my face. I look down, but I reply. "I'm fine, I'm gonna head to school early today." I say, knowing that my bag is in my car. I lean back and get ready to leave, but she stops me. "You're not going to come with us to the..." She asks, trailing off. I wince, of course they would want us to go check out his body.

I shake my head and give her a sorry look. "Sorry, but I don't think I could. I just.... I don't want to see his body lying there." I tell her, and she seems to understand. She nods her head and gives me a sad smile."Okay, just....take it easy today." She says.

I nod one last time and leave the house, walking over to my car. I climb in, but I don't start it. I just sit there and stare out at the rest of the driveway. I can't even cry anymore, I just feel numb.

I sigh, and start my car, pulling out of the dirt driveway. I drive down the road, watching the sun rise next to me. Quickly, I make it to the school. There are only a few cars here, most likely belonging to the teachers.

I lean back, when suddenly, my walkie-talkie goes off. I groan and hit my head on the stearing wheel. _I love the boys, but I just can't deal with them right now._

"Sarah, come in! It's Mike, we really need you." He says, but I ignore him. Not suprisingly, that doesn't stop him. "Sarah, come on. This is urgent, come in!" He practically screams over the com.

I lean over and grab the walkie-talkie, answering it. "Mike, I'm not coming in right now. I'm not in the mood." I say before signing off. I'm about to throw the walkie in the back, but what he says stops me. "Will's alive, we all heard him." I look at the walkie in suprise. _He's alive?_ I look over at the lack of cars in the parking lot, and sigh. _I got time to spare_. "Fine, I'm on my way."

_The things I do for these kids._

**Time Skip**

I park the car outside of Mike's house, seeing the boys' bikes outside of the house. I climb out of the house and walk over to the open door that leads to the basement. "Alright Mike, what do you mean that Will is alive?" I walk in. Everyone's in there.

Mike comes up to me, leading me to El. Eleven starts messing with the walkie, making whimpering sounds emit from it. "That...that is Will. I was right...." I mumble.

"You were right?" Lucas asks. I stand up and start to pace, a small, relieved smile on my face. _He is alive!_ "Yeah, I knew he was alive! I just had no proof without looking crazy." I say.

I stop pacing, looking back at Eleven. _So if he's alive, than he really is in the dark world. Oh no._ "We need to get her to a bigger radio, like Mr.Clarke's Heathkit ham shack." Mike says.

"But we need your help disguising her." Lucas says. I look away from Eleven and sigh. "You guys know that isn't my forte. But, I'm pretty sure we can steal some of Nancy's old clothes and find a wig somewhere." I say, counting off the things I need.

"Alright, let's go!" I say, clapping my hands. We all start to run around, looking for some clothes for Eleven. I grab her hand and take her to Nancy's room, knowing that she is at school by now, so we can use some of her makeup. I grab some and lead El to the bed.

"Alright, so I've never done this before to anyone, so this is new for both of us." I say, putting some blush on a brush. I put it on her face, but she scrunches her nose. "No, you need to keep a straight face. See?" I laugh, before demonstrating on myself.

She nods and lets me do it another time. "This what sisters do?" El asks after I finish with the blush. I smile. "Yeah, that's what sisters do, so I guess we're sisters." I say, grabbing a mirror. I hand it to her, and she smiles. "Pretty." She mumbles. She hands me back the mirror. "Not just pretty, beautiful." I compliment.

I stand up and open the door. "Hey, have you guys found any clothes?" I yell. Dustin and Lucas run up the stairs, carrying a pink dress and a blonde wig. _This'll do great._ They hand me the clothes, and I walk back into the room.

I walk over to El and put the clothes on the bed, "Do you want me to leave the room?" I ask. She shakes her head no and takes off her shirt. After she takes off her clothes, I help her put on the dress. With the dress on, she actually looks her age, not like a run away convict.

I help her put on the wig, and she looks like a normal little girl. She smiles a little. "You know, I like you better without the wig." I whisper, giving her a side hug. Her smile widens.

"Alright, let's show the boys." I say, grabbing her hand and leading her out of the room. I lead her down the stairs, and to the opening of the basement. We walk down the stairs, and the boys are silent. Mike looks starstruck while Lucas and Dustin look impressed. "Great job, Sarah." Dustin compliments. I flick my hair over my shoulder and put my hand on my hip.

"Pretty." Mike whispers. He blushes after he realizes what he said. "Good, You look pretty good." He covers up. I roll my eyes. _Smooth._ I look over at the clock on the wall. It's almost time for lunch. _Shit! How long have we been doing this?_ I look at everyone and sigh. "Guys, I need to head to school." I say, walking over to the door.

"Wait, you're not coming with us?" Dustin asks.

"No, It'll be pretty weird if a highschooler is walking down the halls of a middle school without a pass. If you need me, I'll be across the street." I say. I open the door and wave at them. I walk over to my car and climb in. _Let's hope they don't screw up their plan._


	10. More DnD Terms For Real Life

**Sarah's POV**

I get out of my car and rush back into the school. I run to my chemistry class and run in. I see that I've interrupted the class. They're all just staring at me. "Ms.Byers, wonderful that you've finally joined us." The teacher says.

"Sorry Mrs.Johnson. I had to help my mother with some stuff." I quickly lie. Mrs.Johnson just sighs and motions for me to go to my seat. I rush over and sit down. Steve sits next to me, and he keeps eyeing me weirdly. I pull my notebook out and start to take notes, when a paper falls onto my desk.

**'Why were you late?'**

I look over at Steve and quickly write a response.

 **'I told you, had to help my mom.'** I hand him the paper. I hear him groan followed by the sound of pencil scratches. He hands me the paper back.

**'Bullshit. Why were you really late?'**

I sigh and drop my head onto my desk. I look over at him, and he's just watching, waiting for me to write something. Reluctantly, I pick up my pencil and write.

**'Helping the kids. That and I couldn't really get out of bed.'**

I pass it back, seeing his confusion. He stares at me again and quickly writes something, throwing the paper at me.

**'We need to talk after class.'**

I groan, but nod my head. I look back at the teacher and focus on the lesson, for the first time dreading to talk to Steve. The class ends fairly quickly, the period bell ringing loudly. I pick up my bag and rush outside.

"Sarah! Sarah wait!" Steve calls and I reluctantly stop. He catches up to me and pulls me over to a clear hall. "Alright, what happened?" He asks, holding my shoulders.

"Nothing Steve. Just another one of those days." I say quickly.

"No, why were you with those kids? What did they need?"

"Th-they needed my help with some stuff." I stutter. Obviously he sees through my lie.

"Sarah, what happened?" He asks, looking me in the eye. This was the Steve I missed. The Steve that cared, not the one that hung out with Carol and Tommy. I try to lie again, but his look makes me crumble.

"It's Will." I whisper. He looks at me with concern. "What about Will?" He asks. I sigh and look down, acting sad. I can't tell him that Will's alive, he'll think I'm crazy, but I could tell him about the body. "They found his body in the quarry." I whisper.

Steve gasps and lightly holds my hand. "I'm so sorry Sarah. Are you okay?" He asks. I nod my head, feeling guilty. _No one can know. You just need to get this over with._ "I don't know. I just feel kind of numb." I say, finally looking at him. He looks down at me and pulls me into a hug. It feels nice, but it just makes me feel guilty. _Maybe someday I can tell him._

After a while, I pull away from him. He looks sad, but it quickly goes away. "I need to get to class." I whisper, stepping away. He nods and waves goodbye. I wave as well and walk away, but I have to catch myself suddenly. My head is throbbing, as if it were being split in two. I have to quickly rush to the nearest bathroom. I run in and lean my hands against the sink, looking at my reflection. I'm really pale and my nose is bleeding. What the what?!?

I wipe away the blood and splash some cold water on my face, my hands shaking. My headache is getting worse. My hands start to heat up as I lose control. All I hear is sizzling next. I quickly retract my hands, feeling them overheating. My hands are bright red. I look down at the sink, seeing two hand-shaped scorch marks. _Shit! How did I lose control?!_

My head is still killing me, a ringing noise in my ears. _The only thing that can explain this is....El!_ I steady myself and run out of the bathroom. I run through the hallways and out the door, quickly to my car. I speed over to the middle school and park.

I run up to the school, but stop as soon as I see the door slam open. It's the party, carrying Eleven on a cart. _Shit_.

"C'mon, we need to get her somewhere!" I yell, hurrying them to my car. "What about our bikes?" Lucas asks. "Put them in the trunk, there's room." I yell as I pick up Eleven. I carefully put her in the backseat of my car, not wanting to hurt her.

The boys quickly put their bikes in the trunk and climb in. Dustin takes the front seat and the others take the back seats. "How did you know to get us?" Dustin asks.

"I knew through Eleven."

"What?" Mike asks.

"I started freaking out suddenly in the bathroom. The only way to explain it was Eleven, since all kids like us are linked in some way." I explain, speeding down the road.

"There's more of you guys?" Lucas asks.

"Yeah. but not many survive what we're put through." I sigh sadly. "Mike's place?" I ask.

"Mike's place." They all chime.

**Time Skip**

"Like home, but dark..." Mike mumbles fromthe couch. I look up at him from my seat next to Dustin. "What was that Mike?" I ask. "Empty and cold. Wait, did he say cold?" Dustin asks.

"I don't know, the radio kept cutting in and out." Lucas says, crossing his arms. _Like home but cold and dark.... He's definately in the dark place._ I look over at Eleven, and her tired gaze meets mine. I could tell that she was think the same thing I was.

"Maybe he means his house?"

"Or maybe like Hawkins."

"Upside down." Eleven mumbles. I look at her and stand up. I walk over to her and crouch down, wanting to be at eye level for her. I place my hair on her forehead, smoothing the wig's hair away from her face. "Is that what you call it? Upside down?" I whisper. She nods sadly, making me look down.

"The Upside Down." Mike mumbles, walking over to his dnd board. "When she first showed us where Will was, she flipped the board upside down. Dark. Empty." He says, looking at all of us. "Think about it. When El took us to find Will, she took us to his house, right?"

"Yeah, but he wasn't there." Lucas argues.

"But he was there." I voice, standing up. I walk over to the DnD board, placing my hand in the center. "We just couldn't see him. He was just on the other side." I explain. I flip over the board, showing the map. "This is Hawkins." I flip it over to show the blank side. "This is where Will is. It's cold, it's dark, and it's horrible. It's the Upside Down." I say, glaring at the board.

"Like the Veil of Shadows." Dustin says. _At least he understands, even if he uses DnD terms to understand._ I nod. "Yeah, kind of like the Veil of Shadows."

"An alternate dimension." Mike whispers. "But...how...how do we get there?" Lucas asks. "Cast Shadow walk." Dustin says. "In real life." Lucas yells, annoyed at Dustin.

"Maybe we can't but they could." Dustin says, looking at El and I. I cross my arms and shake my head. "No. I refuse to take you guys there. It's not a place for you guys." I tell them, but they ignore me.

"Do you know how to get there?" They ask El. She shakes her head. They all groan. They look at me and I shake my head. "Guys, I refuse to help you find the opening. I can't let any of you guys get hurt, I just won't allow it." I say, crossing my arms.

They sigh, disappointed. I rub the bridge of my nose, and look over at the door. I could see that the sun has set. "Shit. Guys, it's getting late. Do you two need a ride home?" I ask Dustin and Lucas. They shake their heads. "We do need our bikes back though." Dustin says, following me to the door.

I say goodnight to Mike and Eleven as Lucas, Dustin, and I walk out to my car. I open the trunk, letting them get their bikes out, and unlock the front door. I say goodbye to them as I climb into my car, starting it. I pull out away from the side of the road, speeding off back to my house.

I watch the familiar road and trees buzz past. After a few minutes of being on the road, I see something ahead of me from the woods. I could see a glowing light coming from the woods. _Could be someone in need of asistance. Might as well pull over and help._ I pull over on the side of the road and get out.

"Hello? Is anyone out here?" I yell. I get no response, but the light doesn't go away. I walk in the direction of the light, but a sudden noise stops me for a quick second. "So come on and let me know. Should I stay or should I go~"

"Will?" I call out. _I'd recognize that singing anywhere!_ I run closer to the light, calling out his name asthe singing gets louder. The light finally leads me to a clearing. Will is no where to be seen. "Will!" I yell. I look all around me, looking for the light again. I find the light. It's coming from one of the trees.

I get closer to the tree, wanting to know what's causing the light, but what I find makes my breath catch in my throat. It's an opening to the Upside Down. It's bright and has webby residue on the edges. I could already feel the cold feeling coming from the other side. _Will is in there..._ I swallow my fear and brace myself. _I need to go in there and get him. If I get him, I can fix everything._ I breathe slowly, calming myself, and push myself to go through the opening.

It feels slimy and cold as I push myself through. I push through and reach the other side. I fall onto the ground, trying to regain my breathe. I look around myself and look at the rotting trees and mossy grass. It all sends a shiver down my spine. I push myself up and start to walk around, calling out Will's name. After a few seconds, I get a response, but not the one I wanted.

I could hear growling approach me. I look behind me, and I could see the demogorgon through the trees. It's face is closed and it's lanky body is hunched over. I slowly back away, not wanting to gain it's attention. _Fucking monster, don't need to get mauled at this very moment._ Sadly, my luck is just not on my side, because it raises it's head and looks right at me. It opens it's face like a demonic flower and roars.

I quickly turn back around and start to run. I know I have no chance, but I still try to run. I don't remember where the original opening is, so I can only run until I can find a new one. I could hear it gaining, so I rely on my water to make the ground harder to run on for it. It works for a little bit, but it doesn't last. It only keeps going. Neither of us stop, and I'm actually creating a good amount of distance between us, but I suddenly trip over an unearthed root.

I fall to the ground and scrape my palms. I quickly turn around, ready to run again, but I see the demogorgan in front of me. It lunges, ready to kill, but I raise my hand to protect myself. I shoot a blast of fire at it's open mouth, making it fall. It whimpers and whines, trying to recover. I quickly pick myself up and run away, not waiting to see what happens next.

I keep running until I see a crumbling building. I look around for the demogorgan, and I don't find it. _Better safe than sorry._ I run into the building, running down hall after hall. I go down level after level, until I reach the bottom floor. I slow down to a walk, not wanting to make any noise in case there was any other creature down here. I slowly walk down the hall, trying to find a place to hide, but a light stops me. _Deja-vu_. I walk over to the room with the light. The light is coming from the cracks nder the door.

I carefully open the door to reveal another opening. It was like the one in the tree, but it was much bigger. I can see movement from the other side, but I don't care. _I just need to get the hell out of here._ I quickly pull myself through the opening, holding my breathe as the slimy material surrounds me. I could hear noises coming from the other side, but I don't stop. I'll only stop once I'm out.

I keep pushing until I could feel my hand breach through. I pull myself out with that hand, and I fall onto the ground. I'm so exhausted I can't even keep my eyes open. I could feel myself lose conciousness. Before I pass out, I could hear a voice ask a question.

"Sarah?"


	11. More People Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First El, then Mike and the party, now Hopper knows.

**Sarah's POV**

_Dream~_

_"Okay Three, all I want you to do is light this candle. Simple. After, I want you to fill this cup." Father says, pointing at the objects. He smiles at me, but it doesn't make me feel good. I look at the thing he called a candle and scrunch up my nose. I could feel everything heat up, but it doesn't work. "No, Three. You need to light the candle." He yells at me._

_I nod and try again, but it still doesn't work. I try over and over and over, but nothing happens. Father looks at me and shakes his head, sighing. He looks angry. "Fine, don't light it." He looks at the other people and does something with his hand. "Take her to the room." He yells, making me scream. "No Father!" The strangers come up to me and drag me out of the room. I look back at father, and he's still smiling._

_End of dream~_

"No!" I scream. I shoot upward and open my eyes. I look around in fright, but calm down as I see where I am. I'm at Hopper's place. _When did I get here?_ I try to stand up, but my limbs ache in protest. I still push through the pain and ultimately stand up.

I look around for Hopper, but I have to quickly rush to the bathroom because the urge to vomit took over. I run through the hall and into the bathroom. I slide onto my knees and vomit into the toilet bowl. It leaves a scratchy feeling in my throat.

"Sarah?" I hear Hopper ask, but I can't stop. I could hear him get into the bathroom. He places his hand on my back and rubs it to help me relax. After a few more seconds of dry heaving, I've finally calmed down. I reach up and push down on the lever to flush it.

I lean back and wipe my mouth. Hopper leaves and quickly comes back with a cup of water. He hands it to me and I start to guzzle it down. As I finish the water, I lean back and breathe deeply. "Hopper, what am I doing here?" I ask.

"I don't know. I woke up here with you on my couch." He says, shrugging his shoulders. "Hey, do you remember anything?" He asks. I look at him and sigh. _He must know._ I pull my legs to my chest and look him in the eye. "Are you asking about last night, or further?" I ask.

"Last night. You came out of that portal thing, and I want to know what you remember." He says. I groan and look away. "You would never believe me." I mumble.

"Try me. After what I saw, I would believe anything." He says, rubbing his temples. I look at him and raise an eyebrow in a questioning way. He just stares at me, waiting for me to talk. I groan and let go of my knees, letting my legs relax. "Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." I say.

"Well, the reason why I came out of that opening was because I was looking for Will. There was an opening like that one in the woods last night. I heard his voice come from it, so I went in." I explain curtly. He sighs and rubs his face. _I knew he would think I'm crazy._

"Why did you go in? You're just a kid, you could have gotten hurt." He scolds. He stands up to go somewhere, but I quickly stand up to argue. I stood up to quickly, making my head spin. I grab onto the sink next to me, but I don't back down. "I was fine, Hop. I can handle myself perfectly fine. I'm not a kid. It's not anything that I haven't faced before." I yell. He looks back at me, with a confused glare. "What do you mean, 'it's not anything you haven't faced before'?" He asks, walking closer to me.

 _Shit!_ "I-I...um...uh..." I stammer, scared now. "Sarah, what did you mean by that?" He repeats the question. I gulp as I look up at him. My hands shake, and I could feel them heat up slightly. _Shit, I can't do this now._ "I meant what I said." I say, finally steeling my nerves.

I raise my chin, trying to feel braver than I am. "It wasn't as bad as the shit I've gone through." I say, feeling angry. _With that dream I'm not going to be able to get over it without telling someone._ I walk out of the bathroom, an angry Hopper behind me, as I walk out to the kitchen. I walk over to the table, seeing pieces of dismantled technology. "What's this?" I ask as I sit down. He walks over to the other chair and sits down. "They put cameras and microphones in these. I tore them out, so we're safe." He says.

I nod my head and look down. "What I say stays here. You cannot tell anyone without my permission. Understand?" I ask. He rolls his eyes, but he nods. I let out a slow breath to calm myself down.

"I came from the lab. They would experiment on kids, and I was one of them. That place where that portal led to, that's the Upside Down. It's like Hawkins, but it's home to monsters and it's cold and dark and horrible." I say, fighting back a shudder. He sighs and shakes his head.

I pick up a broken wire and mess with it. "Those papers on the lab, with those kids, you were one of them?" He asks. I only nod my head. "What did they do to you?" He asks.

I look back down and mess with the wires again. I swallow my fear and speak. "They would experiment on us. I don't know if all kids got the same treatment, but if I didn't do what they wanted, they would lock me in a dark room for hours on end. They would sometimes hurt me for fun, like they got some kind of sick pleasure from watching a six year old bleed." I spit out the last statement.

I slowly take off my gloves and show him my wrist. "They branded each of us, to keep track. I was one of the earlier kids." I say as he examines my wrist. He looks pissed, but I don't stop. "They wanted us to be weapons. Wanted us to be little soldiers. They wanted us specifically because we were special. We had abilities that other kids didn't. They really pushed me to be the best weapon, but I got out before they could do anything worse. They favored me the most because of my abilities." I say, retracting my hands.

I bring them closer to me and feel them heat up. Just like with the party, I allow the heat to surround my hands, lighting them ablaze. I keep it as a controlled flame, not wanting it to get too bad. I quickly extinguish my hand, not wanting to meet his gaze. "I can do that and control water. It's not too flashy, but it's pretty powerful." I mumble.

I finally look back up at him. He looks pissed, ready to punch anything. "Kid, I promise you, those men aren't getting anywhere near you." He says lowly. I sigh and smile. _Thank god he believes me. I'm glad he's gonna try to protect me, but I'm more worried about him. The more people know, the more people that could be in danger, but at least he's one of them that know. He can hold his own in a fight, so I don't have to be as worried as I am for the others._

"Well, we need to focus on Will right now. After that, we can worry about the lab doing this to me." I say, getting up. I struggle, but I'm able to get up all the same. I walk away from the table, but I stumble a bit. He moves to help, but I stick my hand out to stop him. "I'm fine. Just have to get used to walking outside of that place. It feels like there's less gravity there, so it just feels weird." I say, righting myself. He just nods, but he stays standing.

I breathe through clenched teeth and walk forward to the couch. I look over at the clock on the table. _1:15._ "Shit!" I yell, trying to run to the door.

"What?" Hopper asks, rushing over to me.

"The funeral. They'll wonder where I am. It'll look suspicious." I say, finally reaching the door. "But you need to rest. And you don't have your car." Hopper reasons, but I'm already out the door. "You could just drive me to my car. It's at the woods where you found Will's bike." I reason, walking over to his car.

He groans, but he opens the car door. I quickly climb in and buckle up. He climbs in as well and starts the car. He pulls out of his driveway, too slowly for my liking. "I'm pretty sure they would understand you missing it if you came up with a good enough excuse." He comments, making me scoff.

"I've already missed his autopsy. I've been flaking on my mom enough, I need to be there." I say, staring out the window. He hums in understanding. After a few seconds of silence, I see my car up ahead. "There it is!" I say as I point at it. He pulls over to the side and unlock the door.

I jump out and walk over to my car. I run my hand along the hood, smiling. _At least nothing happened._ I look back at Hopper, he hasn't got yon out of the car. "Hey Chief! If you need me, you know how to reach me. And please, keep this between us. If others were to know, word could get around." I say, scratching the back of my head.

He nods and gives me a thumbs up, before he drives away. I sigh and lean against my car, looking around. _That opening could still be out there._ I push myself off of the car and walk back into the woods.

 _Okay, don't go through the opening this time. Just investigate._ I walk back to the clearing and walk over to the tree. The opening is gone, but there's a bit of slime, evidence of what was here. _At least it's gone. Don't need people seeing that_. I look back in the direction I came in and sigh. _Well, I better get going. I have a funeral to catch._


	12. Interrogated By Everyone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Funerals are a good place to talk to people, I guess...

**Sarah's POV**

I park my car outside of the building where we were going to hold the funeral. I run out of my car and over to the back entrance. I quietly sneak inside, walking into a room full of people. _Shit, did I miss the buriel?_ I straighten my shirt, feeling under dressed, and walk over to a table in the corner.

I place my bag onto the table and sigh as I sit down. _What is going on? Now Hopper knows, what am I going to do about this?_ I run my hand through my hair and put my face in my hands. Suddenly, I feel someone tap my shoulder. "Sarah?" I look up to see my old science teacher, Mr.Clarke.

"Oh, hey Mr.Clarke. What do you need?" I ask, moving my bag. He smiles and sits down across from me. "Nothing, just wanted to know what was bothering one of my old students." He says. I laugh and run my hand through my hair again. "Nothing sir. I've just been stressed lately."

"I bet. Those kids been dragging you around lately?" He asks, wanting to change the topic. I laugh again. "Yeah, but it's all fine. They're helping me cope, and I'm doing the same for them." I say. He nods and looks over at the buffet table. "Well, I don't want to bother you too much, so I'll leave you to yourself." He says as he stands up. I say goodbye and he leaves. _Weird..._

I shake my head and laugh. _Always a nice teacher, a bit weird though_. I rub my eyes and look around. I could see Mom and Jonathan in the corner with Lonnie. It seems like he's trying to comfort them. _What is he up to? He's never nice without a reason._ I roll my eyes and groan.

I look back over to where I came in, spotting a buffet table. _Well, I haven't eaten anything for two days..._ I shrug my shouders and walk over to the table. _Family can wait. Food comes first, at least for now._ I grab a plate and put pieces of food on the plate. I quickly move away from the guests and go back to the table.

I place the plate down and quickly put a piece of bread in my mouth. I sigh as I quickly eat it, relieved that I've finally eaten something. "Sarah?" I hear someone ask. _Can't I just eat in peace?_ I look behind me to see Nancy. I quickly wipe my face and gesture her to sit next to me. "Hey Nance, what do you need?" I ask as I pick at my food.

"Where were you? None of us saw you at the burial." Nancy asks, going straight to the point. She was so blunt that I dropped my fork. I clear my throat and look away. "I was...um...held up."

"Long enough to miss your brother's burial?" That comment stung. I look up at her and place my chin in my hand. "Believe me Nance, I wanted to come, I really did. But I got caught up in some stuff last night and I woke up late at the presinct. I didn't want to wake up late." I lie smoothly.

"What kind of stuff?" She asks further. _Why can't she just except the lie?!?_ "Stuff that is not on your need to know basis, Nancy." I groan. I feel bad for snapping at her, but she has to stop pushing. I pick my fork back up and put some food in my mouth. She's quiet for a second, but she looks up at me with determination in her eyes. "Is it about the thing that took Barb?" I start to choke on my food. _What is she talking about?!?_

She pats my back to help me, and slowly but surely, I calm down and swallow. "W-what do you mean about Barb?" I ask quickly. She rolls her eyes and places her hand on the table. "I'm talking about her disappearing after that party. You know that she was taken, I know you do! And you know that it was the faceless thing in the picture that took her!" She accuses, raising her voice. She gains the attention of some prying eyes, making me flush and shush her.

She quiets down, but her accusatory stare remains. I let out a shakey breath and look anywhere but her eyes. "I hoped she only ran away, but you're proably right. I didn't know that she was taken." I finally look back at her face and quietly ask. "But what did you mean by a faceless thing? In what picture?"

"One of the pictures Jonathan took. It was in the corner of the picture. I could show it to you later." She says. My hands start to shake and my palms sweat a little. _So now Barb's in the Upside Down? Who's next?!? I need to do something about this, and quick._ Nancy notices my silence and puts her hand on my quickly heating arm. Luckily it isn't too warm yet, but I don't know how it will be in a few seconds. "I know you're pretty occupied with what's going on, but when you're not busy, come get me and we'll find Barb." She says bravely. She stands up and leaves, walking over to Jonathan.

I can't breathe. My whole body is heating up. I need to calm down. _I just need to calm down!_ My surroundings disappear, all noise and people gone. My hands are shaking so badly, they're just a blur. My head feels like it's being split in two. _Breathe Sarah, breathe. Count..._ I close my eyes and repeatedly open and close my hands.

_1..._

_2..._

_3..._

_4..._

_5..._

I breathe slowly and keep my hands closed.

_5..._

_4..._

_3..._

_2.._

_1._

I slowly release the breath and open my hands. I feel my body cool down and the pounding in my head leaves. I could hear everything return, the sound of people talking and the clanging of silverware on plates. I open my eyes slowly and see everyone as they were a second ago, still going about their business. I repeat it again, and finally return to my normal body temperature.

I lean back in my chair and look at the ceiling. I trace the patterns with my eyes. _I need to control this. If I panic again, I could burn down the building!_ I run my hand through my hair and look back over at the other tables. A pair of eyes distract me. It's Dustin.

His eyes widen when he sees me, and all I can do is wave awkwardly. He looks back over at Lucas and Mike, who were too busy talking to Mr.Clarke, and abandons them. I watch him rush over to me and I internally groan. _Third person of the day. Who's next, Lee?_ I quickly put a fake smile on my face as he approaches me. "Sarah, holy shit, where have you been?!" He asks, his hair bouncing.

I chuckle dryly and rub my eyes. "You know, you're the second person to ask me that. I was busy." I say as he slides into the seat next to me. "Busy with Will?" He asks quietly. I nod my head. "Yup. What were you guys talking to Mr.Clarke about?" I ask, changing the subject.

"We were asking him about how to travel to another dimension, to see if it's possible to get to the Upside Down. He says is possible in theory." Dustin says, handing me a paper plate. The plate has a drawing of a person and a bug on a line, with arrows all around. There's a big hole in the center of the plate.

"He says it's like an acrobat and a flea." He explains. I nod in understanding and put the plate down.

"So you guys are trying to get to the Upside Down?" I ask, wanting to clarify. He nods his head and I groan. _Of course they would do this. Why can't this be so much easier?_ I place my head in my hands and shake my head. I feel him place his hand on my arm, rubbing it slightly. Suddenly, I hear Mike's voice. "Sarah?! Where have you been?"

 _Well, that's another person._ I take my face out of my hands and wave Mike and Lucas over to sit with us. They hurry over and take their seats. "I was busy with some stuff, that's why I was late." I explain, not really wanting to go into detail. They nod slightly. "So, I heard you guys are trying to get to the Upside Down. Why?" I ask them.

They shyly look down, already knowing that I'm angry. "Guys, you can't just go there. It's dangerous." I tell them, wanting them to understand.

"But we have to. To find Will. And Eleven's been there, she can help us." Mike pushes. I sigh and shake my head. _There's just no getting through to him._ "Mike, trust me please, I've been there too. It's really bad." I explain further.

"Well, you probably haven't been there in years, so El might be more experienced." He says, slightly raising his voice. _Like sister, like brother._

"Mike, I've been there recently. It's still just as bad as when I was a kid." I tell him, shutting him down. I feel someone tug on my hand, and I look over at Lucas. I raise my eyebrow, waiting for him to say something. "What do you mean, you've been there recently?" He asks quietly.

I sigh and look down. "Last night. I found an opening." I whisper. "I went through it, thinking that I could find Will, but I found something else instead. I saw the demogorgon, and it chased me." I explain, finally looking up at them. They all where shocked faces. "I got out, obviously, but I had passed out afterwards. That's why I was late. That, and I wanted to see if that opening was still there, but it disappeared." I finish, knowing that they were gonna ask if I could take them to the opening.

They all sigh in disappointment. _I know they want to find Will, I do to, but I can't let them get hurt_. They each look sad now, sad that I can't take them to the opening. _Maybe I can help them. Let them look for Will, but if we find an opening, I'll be the one to go in._

I sigh and lean back. "You know what, I'll help you." I reluctantly say. All three of them look confused. "I'll keep helping you guys look for Will, but if we find an opening to the Upside Down, if not when, I will be the one to go in. Besides Eleven, I'm the most experienced with the place. I'm not letting any of you go in there." I tell them, finally breaking. They all smile and nod their heads, agreeing. I smile a little, but dread fills my gut.

_What have I roped myself into now?_


	13. Looking For The Gate

**Sarah' POV**

I lie down on the floor of Mike's basement, listening to him explain everything to El. I watch Dustin walk back and forth constantly, narrowly missing stepping on me. "Sarah already found an opening, but she said it disappeared. Do you know where we can find another one?" Lucas asks, making me sigh. _I wonder if the other one is still open. I have no doubt that exited the Upside Down through a different opening._

I look over at Eleven, waiting for her answer, just to see her shake her head. Mike and Lucas groan and I shake my head. _Please don't make them ask me now. I just want to sleep!_ Lucas starts to complain, but I look back at Dustin. He hasn't stopped walking. I sit up and quickly move my hand before he could step on it. "What are you doing Dustin?" I ask, but that doesn't make him stop.

"Dustin? Dustin!" Mike yells, making him stop. He looks up at us, looking serious. "I-I need to see your compasses." I raise my eyebrow, but I stand up to hand him my pocket compass. The others follow suit.

We place them onto a table, Dustin sorting them. "What's so interesting about this?" Mike asks, rolling his eyes.

"They're all facing north, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Lucas asks, not getting the point. _What is Dustin getting at?_

"It's not true north."

"What do you mean?" Mike asks.

"I mean exactly what I said. It's not true north." He sasses. I look at the compasses and realize he's right. "He's right." I say, crossing my arms. The others look confused. Dustin groans in an annoyed tone. "The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, right?" He asks, moving his arms. The others nod.

"Which means, that's true north." He finishes, pointing in my direction.

"So, the compasses are broken?" Mike asks. _What?! Is this boy serious?_ I sigh and rub my forehead. "That's not how compasses work. They don't use batteries." I explain.

"The needle is drawn to the earth's magnetic north pole." Dustin says, moving a few of the compasses. I cross my arms, but one thing still confuses me. "Well, what changed it?"

"That's what I didn't get either. But I remembered that you can change the direction of a compass with a magnet." He says, looking up at me. "If there's a more powerful magnetic field, the needle deflects to that power. Then I remembered what Mr.Clarke said. The gate would have so much power-"

"It would disrupt the elctromagnetic field." Mike finishes.

"So if we follow the compass' north, they should lead us to the gate." I say, piecing it all together. _Might as well find this thing. We did make a deal._ They smile at me, but I look past them. I look over at the couch behind them, noticing that El has been quiet the entire time.

She looks scared. _What's going through her mind?_

**Time Skip**

I follow the party along the abandoned train tracks. Lucas, Dustin, and I are in the front while Mike and Eleven are in the back. _Maybe they'll bond some more. After all this stuff goes down, she'll be able to live a normal life and spend more time with him._

"How much further?" Lucas asks.

"I don't know. These only tell direction, not distance." Dustin says, holding up his compass. I laugh at his bluntness. I look down at my own compass. It's moving slightly to the left. _What the? It shouldn't be doing that, right?_ I look closer at it, thinking that my mind was playing tricks on me, but it definetly moved.

"How do we know when we get to the gate?" Lucas asks.

"Uh, I think it'll be pretty obvious when we find a portal to another dimension." Dustin says with a sarcastic tone. I lighlty tip Dustin's hat for his tone. Lucas looks behind us, back at El, looking distressed. "Do you think she's acting weird?"

"You're asking if the weirdo is acting weird." Dustin says, making me groan.

"I mean, weirder than normal." Lucas clarifies. I look back at El, noticing her looking down and wiping her face. "I hate to say it, but yeah. She's acting a little different." I say, tucking my hands into my pockets. "See! Sarah agrees with me!" Lucas says, waving his hands around. Dustin and I laugh. We keep walking down the railroad.

I take my hands out of my pockets and check my compass. The needle is pointing north again, making me suspicious. _What is going on?_ I shrug my shoulders and put the compass away. It's all silent until Lucas clears his throat. "Hey, um, Sarah?" He asks, gaining my attention.

"Hm?"

"Do you know where the opening is?"

I shake my head and laugh slightly. "Sorry, but I don't. Like I told you, I passed out after I came back." I say.

He nods his head and stays quiet. Dustin doesn't. "You said that the demogorgon chased you. How did you get away?" He asks. I laugh a little at the worry in his voice, and ruffle his hat since I can't reach his hair. "Don't worry Dusty, I was fine. I used my powers." I reassure him.

"Were they your fire powers? Those are the coolest!" Lucas pipes in.

"Nuh uh! Water powers are cooler!" Dustin argues.

"What can water do? It's water! Fire is the best weapon. You can burn anything!"

"Water can do so much. It's the best defense. And it can beat fire!"

I laugh loudly and pat their shoulders. "Boys! I appreciate the debate, but it's a tie between them. I used both to get away. Fire is a good weapon, I'll give you that, but water is a great defense." They both smile at me. _Man, haven't laughed like that in a while._

I see the trees part, leading us to the junkyard. I keep following Dustin, but he starts to freak out. "Oh no."

"Oh no? Whats 'oh no'?" Lucas asks. Dustin turns around with a distressed look. "We're heading back home."

"What?" I ask. I look up at the sky while pulling out my compass. The sun is setting behind us. _He's right._

"Sun's setting right there." Dustin points out to the others.

"And you're just realizing this now?!" Lucas asks, freaking out too.

"Why is this all on me?"

"Because you're the compass genius!"

"What does your's say?"

The others pull out their compasses and we all respond. "North." Lucas sighs and Dustin walks forward. "This makes no damn sense." He mumbles.

"Maybe the gate moved!" Mike says, trying to make sense of the situation. I look around, trying to think, when I spot Eleven. She looks guilty. _What did she do? I cross my arms, feeling angry. She didn't, did she?_

"I think something else is screwing with the compasses. " I say, not looking away from El. _I get that she doesn't want to find it, but my brother is there. We were sent on a wild goose chase!_

The boys look around. "It'd have to be a supermagnet." Dustin says. Lucas looks over at El, glaring. "Maybe not." He stomps over to Eleven, looking furious, and rightfully so. "She's been acting weirder than normal. Even Sarah noticed it. If she can slam doors with her mind, she can definitely screw up a compass."

"Why would she do that?" Mike asks.

"She doesn't want us to find the opening. "I mumble. Lucas walks closer to Eleven, ignoring Mike's warnings and questions. "You did it, didn't you? You don't want us to find the gate and you don't want us to find Will. Admit it!" He yells before grabbing her arm. Mike yells at him more, but Lucas is quiet.

I walk over to them and look down at where Lucas is holding El's sleeve. There's fresh blood. _She really did it._ Lucas shoves her hand down. "Fresh blood. I saw her wiping her nose on the tracks! She was using her powers!" Lucas yells, getting closer to Mike. But Mike won't listen.

"Bull! Th-that's old blood. Right El?" Mike asks, looking at Eleven with pleading eyes. El just shakes her head and sniffles. "It's...not. It's not safe." She stutters out.

We all back up, Lucas getting angrier. He shoves Mike back. "I told you! She's been playing us from the beginning!" Lucas yells, shoving Mike again. I try to get in between them, but that doesn't stop them. "That's not true! She helped us find Will." Mike insists.

Lucas scoffs and walks in a little circle. "Really? Where is he then? Huh? I don't see him." Lucas asks sarcastically. _I want to scold him, but I can't. Mike has to realize that she tricked us._

"You know what I mean."

"No, I actually don't. She could've just told us where the Upside Down was right away, but she didn't."

"Sarah didn't either! She exited it for God's sake!" Mike yells, pointing at me. I look at him, feeling slightly offended. I cross my arms and glare down at him. "I couldn't tell you because I don't know where it is, Mike! I had passed out! I told you this."

"She made us all run around like headless chickens!" Lucas yells, pushing me out of the conversation. He shoves Mike, and they start to fight. Dustin steps in, and I try to, but I feel something stop me. _What's going on? I can't move!_ I can't move my head, but I can still look around. I look up at El, and she is staring right back at me. I try to talk, but I can't. _Why is she doing this?! Let me go!_

The boys don't seem to notice me as they keep fighting. "She used us, all of us! She helped enough to get food and a bed, like a stray." Lucas says, pointing at Eleven repeatedly.

"Screw you Lucas!"

"No, screw you Mike! You're blind because you like that a girl's not grossed out by you. Wake the hell up! She knows where Will is, but she's letting him die in the Upside Down." Lucas says, poking Mikes chest. I feel my body heat up as I try to break Eleven's hold on me. _I just need her to let me go. If I don't stop them, it could ruin their friendship forever. Eleven, what are you doing?!_

"Shut up!" Mike screams, pushing his hand away.

"For all we know, it's her fault. We're looking for some stupid monster, but did you ever stop to think that maybe she's the monster?" Lucas asks, glaring at her.

"I said shut up!" Mike yells before snapping. He punches Lucas and starts to wrestle him to the ground. Lucas fights back. I could hear El and Dustin yell at them to stop. Suddenly, I feel Eleven's hold on me fade away. I fall to my knees and take a deep breath. Suddenly, Eleven screams. She shoots her hand out and Lucas goes flying back, hitting a giant sheet of metal.

"Lucas!" I yell. I quickly stand up and run towards him. I slide down in front of him, barely hearing Mike and Dustin come up as well. "Lucas. Are you okay? Wake up!" I yell as I shake him. His eyes are closed and it's starting to scare me. "Please wake up." I plead, feeling tears prick my eyes. Dustin is trying to shake him awake as well, but Mike is just standing there.

"Why would you do that?" Mike yells. I look over to see what he's looking at, still shaking Lucas. "What's wrong with you?" He yells at El. She looks like she's gonna cry. Finally, Lucas wakes up. I look back at him and smile. _Thank God!_ I quickly pull him into a hug, holding him tight.

I let him go slowly, knowing that he won't really like that. Mike tries to help him up, but he slaps his hand away. "Get off of me!" He says as he struggles to stand. We back up, giving him the space he needs. Mike tries to help him again, but he shoves him away and stomps off. Mike goes to follow, but Dustin stops him. "Let him go."

I look down, growing angry. _If Eleven hadn't held me back, I could have stopped this all from happening. Why did she hold me back?_

"Where's El?" Mike asks, making me look up. I look over to where El was, to see nothing there. She must've ran. Dustin and Mike start to call out her name, walking around while doing so, but I stay still. I feel my body growing hotter and hotter because of my frustration, and I have to release it somehow.

I channel all of the anger and heat into my hand to create a ball of fire. I scream in anger and throw it at the metal sheet. It doesn't help. So I make another fire ball and do it again. And again and again. By the time I finish, the sheet metal is smoldering. I'm huffing and puffing, but I feel better. I feel someone tap my arm and I look down to see Dustin. Next to him, Mike is staring at the metal.

I huff again and straighten myself. I wipe my nose, leaving a streak of blood on my hand. "C'mon. We need to get home. We have a curfew to meet." I say, turning back to where we came. They both follow me, either one on each side.

I take a deep breath, letting the cool air calm me down. "What happened?" Dustin asks. I look down at him and sigh. "Just angry." I say, looking ahead of me.

"I've seen you angry. You've never acted like that."

I groan. "Well, I guess I've been more angry than usual." I say curtly.

"Why didn't you stop Lucas?" Mike asks after a few seconds. I don't look at him, knowing that he's confused and angry.

"Ask Eleven." I spit out, I cross my arms. Both of them look confused. "She used her powers to hold me back." I say quietly. They both stay quiet as we keep walking. _I just need to get them home and fix everything._


	14. Some People Are Just Jerks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes people hurt the ones closest to them.

**Sarah's POV**

I park my car in the driveway of my house. I had just finished dropping off Mike and Dustin at their houses. I turn off the car and climb out. I slam the door shut and shove my hands into my pockets. I feel something small in one of the pockets. I take it out to reveal my compass. I squeeze it lightly, debating on throwing it. _I can't. I still need this, just in case._ I groan and shove it back into my pocket.

I take my keys out as I walk over to the front door. I stop for a second, keys in hand. I hear voices coming from inside. I shake my head, making myself move closer. _It's probably Mom or Jonathan on the phone._ I stick my key into the lock and turn, unlocking it. I open the door and put my key back in my pocket.

"How did you know it was a kid's room?" I could hear Mom ask someone. I quietly step inside and close the door, not wanting to disturb her. "Because, I told you, the size of the bed. There was a drawing and a stuffed animal." I could hear another voice. It sounded like Hopper's voice.

I lock the door and walk into the living room. There was Hopper and Mom, talking at the table. "You never mentioned a drawing." Mom says.

"There was a drawing of an adult and a child. It said 'Eleven' on it." Hopper says, waving his hand around. _Eleven?_ "Was it good?"

"What's going on?" I ask, finally making them notice me. They both look up, almost nervous. Mom quickly stands up and walks over to me. "Sarah! Where have you been? I haven't seen you all day." She worries. I try to talk, but Hopper answers before me. "She was with me. I had her work on some stuff." He says.

She looks between us, wanting me to confirm, and I nod my head. She visably relaxes and she hugs me. I hug her back, desperately needing the hug. She lets me go and I take a step back. "So, what were you guys talking about?" I ask as I walk over to the kitchen. I take out one of our cups and fill it with water.

"Nothing sweetie. You don't need to worry about it." Mom says, sitting back down at the table. I sigh and take a sip of my water. "You're lying. Isn't she, Chief?" I ask, nodding my head at Hopper.

He shakes his head. I groan and shake my head. I place down my cup and lean against the counter, crossing my arms. "Okay, so you're both lying. You really shouldn't. I caught you guys talking about something." They both look at each other with nervous looks. That concerns me. "What? Is it about me? Or is it about Will?" I ask, putting my arms down to my sides. They don't look at me. "What about Will? And what was that talk about a kid's room?" I ask, walking closer to them.

Hopper sighs and puts his hand on the table. "Remember how I said that I found you last night?" He asks, looking up at me.

"Yeah. So?" I ask, ignoring my mom's distressed noises.

"Well, I was investigating the lab, thinking I could find Will. I found a kid's room inside." _The opening was at the lab?! No wonder Eleven didn't want us to find it._ I nod my head. "What do you mean by that? You found her somewhere?!" Mom asks, freaking out. I place my hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "I'll explain later, Mom. Right now, we need to worry about Will. Now, what about this drawing you mentioned?" I ask.

Mom looks back at Hopper, nodding her head. "Yeah, w-was it good?" She asks, making me confused. _She's asking if a kid's drawing was good?_

"No. It was a kid's drawing, it was just stick figures." Hopper says, clearly confused. Mom stands up and walks over to the fridge. "It's wasn't Will." She says as she comes back. She slams a piece of paper onto the table. It's one of Will's drawings. It's a drawing of all of our dnd characters. _I forgot about this drawing._

I take a step back from the table. _It has to be Eleven's._ Hopper suddenly stands up and walks over to the couch. "Earl...The night the Benny died, he said he saw some kid with a shaved head." He says as he sits down. It's definately Eleven. Mom and I walk over to him, Mom sitting down and me still standing. "What if this whole time that I've been looking for Will, I've been chasing after some other kid." He says.

 _Should I tell them? The boys want to keep her a secret, but Hopper could help. And she is linked to both me and Will._ I sigh and sit down on the floor. I rub my eyes. "You probably are." I mumble. They both look at me, confusion clear on their faces.

"I told you, other kids lived there, not just me. Who knows, maybe some other kid escaped." I say, not wanting to give too much away. Hopper nods slightly but Mom's eyes widen. "What?! What do you mean 'Not just me'?" She asks.

I sigh and rub my eyes. Hopper looks uncomfortable, and I'm sure I don't look any better off. I take a deep breath and start to tell her everything I told Hopper. _This is gonna be a long night._

**Time Skip**

I groan as I walk into the kitchen. Suprisingly, no one's out here. I shrug it off, thinking that they might be asleep still, and walk over to the table. I go to sit down, when I see a note on the table. I grab it and bring it closer.

**'Hey Sarah. By the time you read this, we left. Hopper and I left to find out more about the kid he found. We didn't want to wake you up.**   
**-Mom'**

I sigh as I put down the note. _No wonder no one's out here. Maybe Jonathan's asleep._ I stand up, ready to go wake him, when suddenly the phone rings. _Strange, but not the strangest thing that's happened._

I walk over to the phone, the ringing growing annoying, and answer.

"Hello? Byers residence."

"Hey, Sarah? It's Nancy."

"Oh hey. Do you need to talk to Jonathan? I could go get him, I was going to wake him up anyway." I tell her, ready to leave the phone.

"No! Actually, Jonathan's with me. I was gonna ask if you were up to helping us find Barb." She quickly says.

I bring the phone closer to my ear. _No wonder I didn't see him, he's usually awake by now anyway._

"Oh, um, sure. Yeah, I'll help you guys. Where should I meet you guys?"

"Just meet us at the hardware store."

"Okay, see you there." I tell her before hanging up. _I just can't catch a break, can I?_ I groan as I lean against the wall. I run my hand down my face and take a deep breath. _Who knows, maybe being around Nancy will help me relax, even if Jonathan's with her._ The thought of Jonathan's name raises a few questions. _Jonathan's been acting kind of distant lately. Have I done something?_

I shrug off the thought, not wanting to worry myself, and walk over to my jacket on the floor. I pick it up and put it on. I pull out my key from my pocket and toss it upward, before catching it and walking forward. I walk over to the door and swing it open, quickly rushing out the door.

I slam the door shut and lock it. I slip my house keys back in my pocket and retrieve my car keys. I walk over to my car and unlock it. I open the door and slide into my seat. I start the car and pull out.

I reach to turn on the radio, turning it up. It's playing a song by Madonna, she's pretty good. I tap the beat of the song on the wheel as I turn down the street leading to main street. I pull up to the hardware, spotting Jonathan and Nancy walk up. I turn off the car and hop out to greet them.

"Hey guys, you walked all the way here?" I ask as I walk up to them.

"You had the car." Jonathan says, matter-of-factly. I blush and realize how stupid I was. "Right. So what are we gonna do to find Barb?" I ask as I walk over to the store.

"We need to get some weapons. We found this weird other world, with some kind of monster, and we think Barb might be there." Nancy says, walking right beside me. I pause for a second, looking down. _She found an opening to the Upside Down?!_

I shake my head and follow them further into the store. They start to go through the isles, grabbing different tools, and I follow suit. I grab a large mallet and swing it around. Nancy walks up to me and grabs a mallet as well, placing it into a basket she's carrying. We both walk down the isle, meeting up with Jonathan at a little display. On the display were bear traps. _Metal._

We look at each other before grabbing the bear trap. We walk up to the counter, ready to pay. Nancy and I take everything out of the basket, while Jonathan waits. The cashier keeps looking at us weirdly "Um, four boxes of the .38s." Jonathan asks. The cashier grabs the boxes and places them down on the counter. "What are you kids doing with all of this?"

We look at each other, not knowing what to say. "Um, monster hunting." Nancy says casually. The cashier just nods his head and rings us up. Jonathan is quick to pay.

We grab all of the supplies and place them in a box and leave the store. I take my keys out and unlock the car. "Put it in the trunk." I tell them. Nancy pops open the truck and starts to laugh slightly. "You know, just last week I was looking for a top that Steve might like. It took me and Barb a week to find one. It was like life or death, and now..." Nancy trails off.

Jonathan places his box down and smiles, closing the trunk. "And now you're buying bear traps with Jonathan Byers. What's the weirdest part? Me or the bear trap?" He asks. He reaches his hand over to me and I hand him the keys. "You. Definitely you." She laughs. I chuckle as I make my way to the back seat. I open the door, but before I could get in, we hear a car honk. I look over to see some guy in a red car speeding by us. "Hey Nance! Can't wait to see your movie." He calls out before driving away.

I stand up straighter and walk over to them. "What was that about?" I ask.

"I don't know." Nancy mumbles. She looks around, and freezes suddenly. "What's wrong?" Jonathan asks. She suddenly starts to run off. Jonathan and I look at each other before chasing after her. "Nancy! Wait up!" We yell as we weave through people. I apologize after every person I run into. We chase her down the street, until she stops in front of the theater.

"Nancy, what is it?" I ask, standing in front of her, She looks shocked, and kind of hurt. I look up at what she's looking at and gasp.

**'ALL THE RIGHT MOVES: STARRING NANCY 'THE SLUT' WHEELER'**

_Who could have done this?_ The sound of laughter answers my question. Nancy and I follow the sound of the laughter. We walk over to the ally way next to the theater, and see some people in there. "You write like a three year-old, Tommy." _Of course it was Tommy and Carol. Nobody else is that much of a douchebag!_

Nancy and I stomp down, now noticing a third person in their party. _Please don't let it be him._ Sadly it is. _Steve, what the fuck have you done?_

"Oh, hey there Princess." Carol greets. I stop by their car, but Nancy keeps walking right up to Steve. She slaps him right across the face. "What is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? I was worried about you. I can't believe I was actually worried about you." Steve scoffs.

"What are you talking about?"

"I wouldn't lie if I were you. You wouldn't wanna be know as the lying slut, do you?" Carol asks, walking up to her. I scoff at her and push her away. "Fuck off bitch, before I do more than push you." I threaten her. She just scoffs, but she backs up. _That's what I thought._

"Speak of the devil." Tommy says, hopping off his perch. I look behind me and see Jonathan. _What's going on?_ Nancy sighs in an irrated tone. "You came by last night."

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Does she get a prize?" Carol teases. I raise my fist but don't move towards her. "What did I say?" I ask her.

"Look, I don't know what you think you saw, but it wasn't like that." Nancy insists.

"What? You just let him in your room to... study?" Steve asks, genuinely sounding hurt. _They slept in the same room? But they would never do anything, right?_

"We were just..."

"Just what? Finish that sentence." Steve demands, walking closer to her. Nancy doesn't respond. Steve just shakes his head and scoffs. "Go to hell, Nancy." He goes to walk away, Jonathan grabbing our arms to get us to leave, but Steve turns back around.

"You know, Byers? I'm actually kind of impressed. I always took you for a queer, but I guess you're just a little screw up like your father." Steve says, pushing Jonathan. I grab onto Steve's hand and shove him back. "Shut up, Harrington." I say lowly, trying to get him to back off. But he doesn't let up.

"Oh yeah, that house is full of screw ups. I shouldn't really be suprised that Sarah's adopted. She's the only normal one in that family. I mean, your mom. I'm not even suprised by what happened to your brother." He says, going too far. I feel my body heat up in anger.

"Shut up!" I yell. I shove him back, huffing with anger. But Jonathan goes the extra mile. He charges at Steve and punches him in the face. Steve stumbles back for a second, holding his face, but he quickly reacts and starts to fight Jonathan. They throw punches and throw each other to the ground.

"Stop! Stop it!" I yell, but I'm too scared to get near them. I don't want to get hit. Nancy and I are yelling for them to stop, while Tommy is cheering for Steve.

Steve and Jonathan start to wrestle on the ground not giving up. Jonathan manages to get on top of him. "Jonathan stop! Get off of him!" Nancy and I yell. I quieten down when I hear sirens. _Shit. Cops._

A cop car starts to drive down the ally, but Jonathan doesn't stop hitting Steve. Tommy and Carol have already ran off. I steel my nerves and rush over to the fight, wanting to stop it. "Get off of him. He's already down!" I yell as I pull on Jonathan's shoulders. Suddenly, all I feel is pain in my right eye. Jonathan must have hit me with his elbow while he was getting ready to throw another punch. I fall to the ground and hold my eye.

 _Fuck that hurt._ I feel my eyes water at the pain. I could hear one of the officers rush over, but I heard him quickly hit the car. "Oh! My nose!" I recognize the voice as Callahan. I could hear Powell arrive to the scene. "Calm him down!" He yells.

I open my eyes, wincing at the pain, and start to stand up. I watch Powell place Jonathan on the hood of a car, Steve running off in my peripherals. Callahan starts to chase after him.

I sigh and hold my face in my hand. Powell looks over at me, handcuffing Jonathan in the process, and winces. "Byers. That eye gonna be okay? Which one of them hit you?" He asks.

I shake my head and give him a thumbs up. "I'm fine, Powell. I don't know which one. I was trying to break up the fight, so I couldn't see which one ." I tell him as I hold my eye. Powell shrugs and lifts Jonathan. "I'm taking you down to the precinct." He tells him as he drags him to the car.

"You guys are coming with me too." He says, pointing at Nancy and I.

"What about Callahan?"

"He'll find a ride. Why not let him take your car."

"I don't know about that. I'll take my car and meet you there." I negotiate as I walk over to him. I grab the keys out of Jonathan's pocket and back up. Powell nods his head and waves me off. _What have we done now?_

**Time Skip**

"Are we gonna be able to leave soon?" Nancy asks Flo.

"You two, yes. Him, no." She says. "He assulted a police officer." I sigh as I sit down across from Jonathan.

"You got a pretty nasty shiner, you want me to get you something?" I ask him. He shakes his head.

"Okay. Are you thirsty or anything?" Another shake. I feel my blood begin to boil from being ignored. _What even gives him the right to ignore me? He should at least say something about hitting me._ He won't even look at me in the eyes. "You know, a little 'I'm sorry' would be nice." I tell him as I lean back and cross my arms.

"What do you mean?" He asks, finally looking at me.

"Well for starters, you could apologize for hitting me. I'm probably gonna have a black eye 'cause of you. And two, you could have costed me my position here." I tell him.

"Aren't you an intern? You don't even get paid."

"I'm talking about my future position. I'm supposed to work here after college. Because of that little stunt you pulled, they might not let me work here." I tell him.

He groans and rolls his eyes. He looks like he's about to say something, but Nancy walks into the room before he can. She has a bag of ice in her hand. "Found some ice." She says, placing it on the table in front of him.

"Thanks." He says. She picks up the bag and brings it to his face. "Everything okay?" He asks her. _Oh, so he'll talk to her willingly?_

"Yeah, everything's fine. What were you guys talking about?" She asks as she puts the bag down.

"Nothing!" Both Jonathan and I blurt out. _I don't really want her to see us argue._ We're all quiet until Jonathan speaks again.

"Why did you try to stop me?" He asks me. I look up, confused. _It should be obvious._ "You were beating Steve while he was already down." I tell him curtly.

"Are you sure? I thought it was because you liked him and didn't want his face jacked up. You shouldn't have held me back, that's why you got hurt." _Is he blaming me?! Seriously?!_ I lean forward and uncross my arms.

"What the hell? If I hadn't had tried to hold you back, it could have escalated a lot quicker!" I say, not wanting to answer the first half. He just scoffs and rolls his eyes. Nancy looks incredibly unomfortable. _Can't blame her. Jonathan needs to stop acting like an ass._

"I don't know why you're still here. Like Steve said, you're not even part of this family." _WHAT!?!_ I quickly stand up, seething. I feel my body heat up again. "He didn't say that, and you know that." I say through my teeth.

"He insuated it." He shoots back. _Is this why he's been ignoring me and drifting? Does he really think I'm not part of the family?_ "Take that back." I whisper.

"No! It's true. You're not even related to us. I don't know why you're so bothered, you've known this." He says, making angry tears prickle in my eyes. I stomp over to him, towering over him, and slap him across the face. "Fuck you, Jonathan." I tell him, tugging on my jacket. He looks shocked by what I did. _Good. He had no right to say that._

I turn around and walk over to the door. I stop right before I open the door. "Hey Nance. Let me take you home?" I ask, not looking back at her. I hear rushed footsteps get closer. I open the door and quickly rush out, not really waiting for her to follow. I stop before I reach the door, and look over at Flo, who's at her desk.

"Hey Flo? Mind keeping him here a little longer?" I ask. She nods her head. I turn back to the door, seeing Nancy next to me. I shove the door open and stomp over to my car. _You know what? Screw Jonathan. If that's how he feels, that's how he feels. I can't change that. Doesn't mean it can't effect me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN
> 
> Hey guys! So I'm back in the groove and I'm writing longer chapters! Now, I love Jonathan with all my heart, but I played in the fact that he doesn't like many people, which includes Sarah. Don't worry tho! They'll be fine! Love you all!~Lunar


	15. They're Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh no...

**Sarah's POV**

I slam my door and grab my keys. I shove them into the ignition and start to car. I watch Nancy quickly climb in and buckle up. I pull the car out of the parking lot and pull onto the road.

I grip the steering wheel tightly as we drive down the road. "Hey, are you okay?" I look over at Nancy for a second and nod. "Yeah, just peachy." I grit through my teeth. She sighs and places her hand on my shoulder. "What was that back there?" She asks.

I loosen my hold on the steering wheel and bring on of my hands up to my face. "Nothing, Nance. Just two siblings fighting." I try to brush off, but it obviously doesn't work.

"That wasn't just a normal sibling fight. That was....something else." She says, looking for a word. I laugh dryly and place my hand back on the steering wheel. I glance back at her with a little smile. "Well, that's just how we fight. Haven't really fought like that in a long time. I don't even remember the last time." I mumble, trailing off.

"Are you going to be okay? What he said was pretty bad." She asks, still keeping her hand on my shoulder. I place my hand on top of her's. "I'll be fine Nance. I just need some time to cool off. We'll probably be buddy-buddy by tomorrow." I tell her, patting her hand.

She moves her hand and nods. She seems reluctant about something. "Hey, um, I know you don't know him very well, but Jonathan's not that bad. That was a horrible example of his character, but he's really nice." I tell her as I turn down her street.  
She's quiet. "Sorry, I just don't want you to judge him too harshly. He seemed like he liked hanging out with you, and he needs someone to be his friend, I just don't want another person to think lowly of him." I worry, holding onto the steering wheel tighter.

I hear her sigh, and I could see her shift in the corner of my eye. "You don't have to worry, he seemed okay. It was just weird to see a family act like that." I pull up to her house and park the car. Neither of us get out. "Maybe Steve was right. We are a bunch of screw ups, but we love each other, no matter how many times we piss each other off." I turn off the ignition and lean back.

"Well, here you are. I'll see you later Nance." I watch her climb out, but she doesn't close the door. She just stands there, leaning on the door. "Why don't you come inside. Cool off. Put some ice on your eye. We could hang out for a while." She suggests. _I could go for a little cool down time..._

I shrug and unbuckle. I place my key in my pocket. I climb out and get ready to close the door, but I notice something on the steering wheel. There's little burn marks along it. _At least I burned that instead of Nancy._

I shake my head and shut the door. "C'mon, lets head inside." I say, gesturing for her to take the lead. I watch Nancy open the door and walk past her mother. She walks over to the kitchen and grabs a glass. "You want some water?" She asks. I nod my head and lean against the counter.

She pours herself and I glasses and sets them down. I grab a glass and take a large gulp. I look over at her mom, who's on the phone, and set my cup down. Suddenly, I hear a door slam open. I look over at the place where the sound came from, and see Mike and Dustin run out. I watch them run to the front door and then back.

I look at Nancy and she shrugs. Mike runs back over, stopping to a halt once he enters the kitchen. "Sarah?!? We need you right now." He says, running up to grab my arm.

"Whoa, calm down Mike, what's going on?" I ask. He doesn't answer, just starts to pull harder. I shoot Nancy an apologetic glance, and she just waves me off.

Mike drags me over to the front door. "Tell her." He points at Dustin before running off again. _What's going on?_ Dustin looks back at me, a terrified look on his face. "Dustin, what's wrong. What happened?" I ask, stepping closer to him.

"Sarah, you need to look! They found her!" He yells, pushing me towards the window. I stick my hands out, trying to stop him from aquishing me against the window. I move the curtain slightly, trying to look around.

Along the street, I could see numerous vans. They're all white and have bold lettering along the side. I have to squint to read it, considering the vans were far away. 

**' Hawkins**   
**Power and Light'**

I feel my breath catch in my throat as my hands shake. _They found us...._

I step away from the window as I watch more vans arrive. "Th-they're all here." I whisper as I turn around. Dustin looks at me worridly before he moves back to the window. I hold my head in my hands, and slide to the ground. _I can't go back. I won't go back! I won't let them take me! I won't let them torture me again! I WON'T!!!!_

"Sarah! We gotta go. They saw me." Dustin says, tugging on my arm.

"They saw you!?!"

"Yes, and we need to go. Now!" He urges me. He pulls me up and drags me back to the kitchen. "Mike! We need to go!" He yells. Nancy and Mrs.Wheeler look at us weirdly, but Mike quickly follows us. I tug my arm out of Dustin's grip and look back at them. "Um, I'm gonna head home Nance. Thanks for letting me hang out." I rush out before following Dustin.

I follow them down to the basement and out the door. We rush out, grabbing Eleven on the way, and run to their bikes. "Wait, what about Sarah?" Dustin asks as he picks up his bike. Mike and Eleven pause as they lift his bike. _Shit, what am I going to do?_

"I'll um, head back home. They're looking for El, not me. I'll cause a distraction to help you guys get away." I say, pushing them away.

"Don't you want us to tell you where we're going?" Mike asks.

"No, if they do get me, they won't be able to recognize me but they will want to question me. It's better if I don't know. Just get as far away as possible." I say, giving them one final push. I watch them run down the street until they ultimately climb on their bikes.

I run over to the side of the house and wait for some of the vans to pass. I clench my fist and feel heat travel down my arm. I push all of my energy into my right hand, feeling it overheat with the effort. I thrust my arm out, sending a large blast of water at one of the vans in the front. It hits the van, tossing it and making the other vans slow down.

 _Hopefully that will give them a bigger head start._ I bring my arm back and run back to my car. I quickly take my key out and toss the door open. I slam the key into the ignition, not bothering to buckle up, and start to car. I pull out of the driveway and speed down the road, trying to get home. _Please let them be safe..._

**???'s POV**

_That power... I recognize it..._

_...._

_......._

_..._

_Number three is back...._

**Nancy's POV**

_That was weird. Why did they run off like that? I didn't even have time to get Sarah ice for her eye._ The phone starts to ring, so Mom quickly grabs it. "Yes, hello? Oh, she's right here, let me hand you over." She says as she gestures me over. I raise my eyebrow as I walk closer.

"It's the chief of police, he's asking about one of your friends." She tells me as she hands over the phone. I put it to my ear and lean against the wall. I watch her walk away.

"Hi, this is Nancy."

"Nancy, this is the chief of police, I need to ask if you know where Officer Sarah Byers is. Her brother is here."

"Um, she just left, sorry. What's going on, is she going to be okay?" I ask, growing worried.

"She'll be fine, we just need to see her, and you for the matter. We know about the monster you found, Jonathan told us. We want to talk about it."

"We?"

"Jonathan's mother and I."

I hum and nod, even though I know he can't see. "Um, okay, we can talk about it. Where should we?"

"Well, we need to find Sarah first before we do. Do you know where we can find her?"

_"I'm gonna head home Nance...."_

"She told me she was heading home."

I hear him hum over the line, along with some muffled talking. "Okay, thank you. Meet us at the Byers' house, so we can all discuss this." He says before he hangs up. _What's going on now? And why is Sarah involved? She wasn't with us when we found the monster. What has she done?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN
> 
> Two author's notes in two chapters, that's gotta be a record! I'm trying out something new, comment if you guys like the switch of pov's or not so I can see if I'll continue doing them. Love y'all!~Lunar


	16. Finding The Kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah has to join her family and friends to find the kids she told to run. Is she going to find them?

**Sarah's POV**

I rush inside my house, barely stopping to shut the door. _Okay, the kids will be fine, but I can't stay. What if they didn't forget about me?!? They'll hunt me down!_ I run down the hall and into my room. _I have to leave town._ I go over to my closet and throw it open. I crouch down to pick up a large bag.

I toss it onto my bed and start to find things to put in it. I go through my dresser and toss random clothes at my bed. I also grab a few extra things and toss them over. I run over to it and start to pile the clothes into the bag. _That should be enough to last me a while. All I need to do is get them to fit!_ I push the clothes down, trying to make them fit, but they just won't.

Finally, I get them to fit, barely, and zip it up completely. I sigh and lean over the bag. Suddenly, I hear the front door open. _Shit!! Did they fucking follow me?!?_

I panic and look around, looking for something to defend myself. _I can't use my powers against them, that could kill them. I just need something to knock them out._ I look over near my bookshelf and spot my old baseball bat. I quickly grab it and slowly walk out of my room. I could hear multiple pairs of footsteps getting closer to the opening nearing the hall way.

I tighten my grip on the bat and raise it. "Sarah?" I hear a familiar voice ask. _Nancy?!? What if they have her and are using her to get me?_ I stay silent and press myself against the wall. "Sarah? Where are you?" I could hear Mom's voice too. I let out a slow breath and walk closer to the opening.

I look over at the open area. They're near the open door. I could see Hopper and Jonathan with them aswell. I gulp nervously. _Maybe, they're fine. Maybe._ I hold the bat closer to me. "Are you guys alone? Did anyone follow you?" I call out, still not moving.

"Sarah! Where are you?" Mom asks again.

"Answer please! Were you followed?" I urge.

"No, we weren't." I could hear Hopper say. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and peel myself away from the wall. I walk into the room, still keeping the bat to my chest. I could see them more clearly, they look scared. Nancy looks relieved once she sees me. She scurries towards me and hugs me. I awkwardly stand there. "What happened?" I ask.

She lets me go and moves her hair. "I could ask you the same. You just ran out!" She says.

"Stuff came up. What are you doing here?"

"We know about the monster. Jonathan told us." Hopper says, walking over to us. _Fuck, now they know about the demogorgan. What else are they gonna find out about? Eleven?_ "And we know about the kid." _Fucking called it._

I sigh through my nose and run my hand through my hair. "Okay, you know about Eleven, you know about the monster, and I'm pretty sure you know about the Upside Down. Is there anything you guys don't know?" I ask, throwing my hands into the air.

"Why did you run?" Nancy asks.

I look away from her and drop my bat. "You ran? Why?" I could hear Jonanthan ask aswell. I clench my fists and look back at them. "Because they could take me away! I don't want to go back, so I ran! I ran after telling the others to run." I yell, getting quieter near the end. I cross my arms around my body and hold tight.

"Take you away? Who would take you away?"

"The people from the lab!" I yell and stomp my foot.

"Why?!"

"Because I'm from there!" I snap. They're silent. _Now everyone knows._ "I'm from the lab, and I was afraid they were going to take me away." I whisper. I feel tears begin to prickle in my eyes, so I quickly wipe them before they could see. I huff and reach down to grab my bat. "What are you guys doing here? I thought you were supposed to be held there longer." I ask, directing my question at Jonathan.

"We're looking for the kids. Not just the one from the lab. We want to find them before the lab does." Hopper says, but it's obvious he has more to say. I spin the bat slowly, waiting for him to continue. "Do you know where they could be? Any place they hang out when they don't want their parents to know?"

_"Don't you want us to tell you where we're going?"_

_"No, if they do get me, they won't be able to recognize me but they will want to question me. It's better if I don't know."_

"Oh fuck..." I mumble, bring one hand up to grip my hair.

"What? What is it?" Mom asks, concern clear in her voice.

"I-I...I don't know where they are. I told them not to tell me. I'm so stupid!" I say, tugging hard.

"What?!? You told them not to tell you?!?" Jonathan yells. "They could be in trouble!"

"I know that! I'm not that stupid! It was a safety precaution, in case the lab found and interrogated me."

"Do you at least know any way we can find them?" Hopper asks, stepping in between Jonathan and I. _The walkie-talkies! Mike never goes anywhere without his! He has to still have his on him!_ I nod my head and wave them over. I lead them into my room. They walk in as I start to dig around. "Sarah, what's this?" I hear Nancy ask. I look over to see all of them staring at the bag on my bed.

I sigh and turn back to what I was doing. "Was planning on running. Packed that right before you guys came in." I say as I rummage through my drawers. Finally, I find what I was looking for. "Aha! Found the sucker!" I say as I bring it over to them.

"Will's walkie-talkie? Why was it in your drawer?" Jonathan asks, giving me the side-eye.

"Had a small break down when this stuff first went down. Tried talking to him, even though I knew it wouldn't work." I say, not looking at him. I hand the walkie to Hopper, shoving it into his hands. "Mike never leaves anywhere without his walkie, he should still have it with him." I tell him.

Hopper hands it to Nancy. "It's your brother." He says. She nods and presses the button on the side. "Mike, it's me, Nancy. Are you there?" She asks. There's no answer. _C'mon Mike. Please answer, for the love of God._

"Mike, we need you to answer. This is an emergency! Do you copy?" She asks, slightly shaking the walkie. Still no answer. Hopper gets frusterated and snatches it out of her hand. "Listen kid, this is the chief. If you're there, pick up." He says. "We know you're in trouble, and we know about the girl. We can protect you and help you, but you gotta pick up."

Like clockwork, no answer. He sighs and slams it onto the bed. He turns around to face us, his hands on his hips. "Any other ideas?" He asks. I look down at the walkie and scrunch up my nose in concentration. _He should've picked up, he always picks up. Maybe he's scared...._ I reach over and grab it, standing up and walking over to my closet. I lean against the closet door and bring the walkie up to my mouth.

"Mike, please, come in. It's Sarah. I promise, the bad men aren't here, you have to trust us." I plead. It's radio silence. _What could definitley make him answer? I won't have to do it, will I?_ I gulp and look up at the others. "Okay, don't make fun of me, but this will hopefully work, it's worked before." I tell them, feeling slightly embarressed. They give me weird looks.

I take a deep breath and press the button on the side. "Um....Druid to Paladin. Come in Paladin." I say, not looking them in the eye. I could hear Jonathan and Nancy snicker. I flip them off before trying again. "If I do not get an immeadiate answer in T-minus 10 seconds, the Druid's swear for immeadiate response will be broken, and there will be consiquences acted out by The Protectors." I say, slightly getting into character.

 _Haven't done this in a while._ When they were younger, and trying out dnd together for the first time, we had a joke that our parents were 'The Protectors' and if one of us didn't answer our walkie, the others would tell on them.

I still get no answer. I sigh and put the walkie down, when suddenly I hear it go off. "Paladin to Druid! I'm here....We're all here." I hear Mike say. I smile widely and grip the walkie close to me. _He answered! Thank God!_

"Good! What's your location?"

"We're at the junkyard, where El took us."

"Okay, we're coming to get you. Stay put." I say. I look up at the others with a smug smirk. I toss the walkie at Jonathan, who scrambles to catch it. "Not so funny now, huh?" I ask. He just laughs and puts it down.

"C'mon, we got some kids to rescue." I say, clapping my hands together. Hopper shakes his head and puts his hand out. "No, you're staying here with them. I'll go get them." I roll my eyes and cross my arms. "No offense Hopp, but I'm going. This stuff is linked to me, not just through Will, and those kids are my responsibility, and I'll be damned if anything happens." I tell him.

He groans, but he just waves his hand. "Fine, but you listen to me." He tells me. I smile and go to follow him, but Jonathan stops me. "Hey, um, be careful. And sorry for what I said before, it was uncalled for." He apologizes. I smile. _At least he knows what he did was wrong._ I lightly punch his shoulder and chuckle. "I'll be fine, dude, you have nothing to worry about. And all's good between us. No hard feelings." I reassure him before walking out. _Time to look for my family._

**Time Skip**

I lead Hopper into the junkyard, looking around. "Here kid." He says, handing me a gun. I nod my head and take it. _I don't really think I'll need it, but better safe than sorry. Could use this to knock someone out._ I walk around, noticing the few people here. There's only three scientists, but we still need to hide.

I gesture for Hopper to follow me to the side of the abandoned bus. I watch one scientist walk over to the door. I look back at the rest of the junkyard to see the other two scientists. "You get those guys, I'll get the one at the door and see if the kids are in there." I whisper as I point my gun at the other two.

He nods his head and goes off. I sneak over to the guy at the door, raising my gun. He's prying the door open. I raise my gun over my head and hit him with the end. He falls, out cold. _That was easy_. I shrug and turn back to the door. I can hear Hopper take care of the other two. I push the door with all my might, groaning in the process. It was stuck pretty good, but it slowly opens after a bit of more pressure.

I walk into the bus, the floor creaking. "Guys?" I whisper. I see four heads appear from behind the seats. _Thank God, they're all here._ I sigh in relief and put the gun down. "C'mon, we gotta go." I tell them.

They quickly follow me out the bus. I step out and look around for Hopper. He's standing over a body. I wave him over. He walks over and leads us all to his car. I push the boys and El in front of me, urging them to go faster. Eleven stays right next to me, and grabs my hand. I smile down at her and squeeze her hand as the sun goes down.

**Time Skip**

Hopper parks the car and I hop out. I close my door and move to open the kids' door. They all pile out of the car. I close their door for them as I hear another door open. I look up to see Mom, Nancy, and Jonathan walking over to us. Nancy rushes over to Mike, quickly hugging him.

"I was so worried about you!"

"Yeah, me too." He says awkwardly. Nancy lets go of him and takes a step back. She looks over at the rest of us, her eyes landing on El. "Is that my dress?" She asks. I look down at Eleven and laugh. I place my hand on her shoulder and smile up at Nancy. "We'll explain later. Let's get inside first." I tell her, pushing the kids along.

We all walk inside. The boys walk around looking for something. I watch Mike walk back with a pencil and paper. They start to explain their acrobat theory to us, while we sit down anywhere possible. "We tracked down the opening to Hawkins lab." Lucas says.

"Was it underground?" Hopper asks.

"Yes." El whispers.

"Near a large water tank?"

"Yes."

"H-how do you know all that?" Dustin stutters out. Hopper just stares at him. "He's seen it. When I escaped the Upside Down." I explain. He nods and looks down. Mom leans forward, closer to Eleven.

"Is there any way that you could reach Will? That you could talk to him in this-" She asks, but El intterupts her. "Upside Down."

"And my friend, Barbara. Can you find her too?" Nancy asks before Mom could keep talking. El nods. The boys and I share a look. _She could use the radio!_ I stand up and walk back over to my room. I grab the walkie-talkie and rush back over to them. "She can use this. She's used it before." I say as I place it on the table. They all walk over to the table, letting El sit at the head.

Static comes from the walkie. El closes her eyes and the static gets louder. The lights start to flicker. Very quickly, it all dies down. She opens her eyes, tears glistening. I lean over to her and grab her hand. "I'm sorry." She whispers.

"W-what? What's wrong? What happened?" Mom asks, reaching forward.

"I can't find them." El whispers. Jonathan and Nancy stand up and walk away. I sigh and pull her into a loose hug. "It's okay, you did your best." I whisper to her, trying to make her feel better. "Let's go clean off your nose." I tell her as I stand up straighter. She follows me to the bathroom, sitting on the bathtub.

I turn on the faucet and wet a rag that was on the sink. I ring it out, turning the faucet off, and walk over to her. I bring the rag up to her face and clean the blood away from her nose. "The bath." She whispers.

"What about it?" I ask. _What is she getting at?_

"I can find them. In the bath." She says as she stands up. _How would that wor- Oh! The tank! That makes a whole lotta sense._ I nod my head and stand up with her. I drop the rag and open the bathroom door. "Okay, let's tell the others then." I say, putting my hand on her back.

We walk out of the bathroom and back into the living room. Everyone is talking to each other. I clear my throat to gain their attention. "Guys, she can find them in the bath. Like a sensory deprivation tank. We just need a bigger bath." I tell them.

"Well, how are we going to make one?" Lucas asks. Dustin and I look at each other and smirk. _There's only one person I know that culd possibly know how to make one._

"Mr.Clarke."

"Any of you know his number?" I ask as I walk over to the phone. Dustin stands up and nods his head. He walks over to me and takes the phone out of my hand. He dials the number quickly. I lean against the wall and cross my arms.

"Mr.Clarke? It's Dustin. I have a science question." Mr.Clarke says something over the line. "Do you know anything about sensory deprivation tanks? Like, how to build one?" He asks.

Dustin panics a little and looks back at me. He places his hand on the part near his mouth, blocking everything he says so Mr.Clarke won't hear him. "He's asking why. What do I say?" He asks me.

"Um, I don't know, tell him that it's for fun or something. Like an at home science experiment." I suggest. He nods and tells Mr.Clarke exactly what I said.

"You always say we should never stop being curious. To open any curiosity door we find. Why are you keeping this curiosity door locked?" _Poor Mr.Clarke. He's proabaly busy, but he's probably the only one who would know about this kind of stuff. We only know how to be in one, not build one._

Dustin starts to smile, before walking over to the table. He grabs the paper they were using earlier and flips it over, pencil in his hand. He starts nodding his head, writing something down. I step away from the wall and lean over his shoulder to look at his notes.

_1,500 lbs of salt_

_Large container of water (big enough to fit a person)_

_COLD WATER_

"We'll be careful Mr.Clarke. Bye." Dustin says before hanging up. He places his pencil down and points at Mom. "Do you still have that kiddie pool that we used to bob for apples?"

"Yeah, I should."

"Good, then all we need is salt, and lots of it."

"How much is lots?" Hopper asks.

"About 1,500 lbs of salt." Dustin explains simply.

"Well where are we gonna get that much salt?" Nancy asks. _Doesn't the school have a bunh of salt to de-ice the roads?_ I straighten up and walk over to get my bat from the couch. "We just go to the school. They have plenty of salt for when it snows, it should be enough for this."I say, holding the bat in both hands.

They all nod, but don't move. "C'mon! Let's go, there's no use just sitting around here." I tell them, waving at them to hurry them along. They all quickly stand up and make their way to the door. _Don't worry Will and Barb, we're gonna find you. We're close._


	17. Trying Out The Pool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's set up this tank and find our friends!

**Sarah's POV**

"So who's getting what?" Dustin asks as we walk into the school gym. Lucas, Dustin, and I are dragging the kiddie pool inside.

"Jonathan and I will get the ice." Hopper says, already walking away.

"Mike and I will get the hose." Nancy says next.

This leaves Dustin, Lucas, El, Mom, and I. I drop the pool in the center of the gym. "Mom and I will help get El prepared. You too should set up the pool." I say. They nod and start to set up.

I grab El's hand and lead her and Mom out of the gym and down the halls. _She needs some goggles to keep the water out of her eyes. They have to be blacked out, we can't do it if there's light going through it. Maybe we can use ductape._

I lead them down the hal until we find the science lab. _We're sure to find goggles in a science lab._ I shove the door open and lead El to a table. She sits down on it, and Mom and I get to work looking for the goggles.

I look under the table Eleven's on, opening cabinets, when I find some tape. "Well, we have half of what we need." I say, placing the tape besides El.

"Sarah?"

I look up at her. She looks guilty. "Hm?"

"Sorry."

"What for?" I ask, placing my hands on the table.

"Used my powers against you. You were angry." She doesn't meet my eye. _Oh no, I didn't mean to make her feel like this._

"Oh El, I wasn't angry at you. I swear. I was just scared. I didn't know what was going to happen, so I got scared. I never should have reacted that way. I promise I will never act like that again." I promise. She looks up into my eyes, trying to tell if I'm lying. She sees the truth in my eyes and nods.

I smile down at her and put my hand on her shoulder. "Hey, how about when all of this is over, you and me go hang out. Just us girls. After we find Will, you'll get to meet him, and you'll be part of our family. We could be like real sisters." I gush.

"Sisters?"

"Of course. I'm not losing you." I tell her. I bend down and kiss her forehead. I want her to have what I have. _A real family and something to make up for a lack of a childhood. It's what she deserves at the very least. I just hope Mom will bring her into our family._

**Joyce's POV**

I smile at the sight before me. _Sarah really is acting like an older sister_. I grip the goggles in my hands tighter as my heart swells. _She really has grown hasn't she? She isn't that scared little girl any more._

_Flashback~_

_A loud crash wakes me up. What was that? I move the covers off me and walk over to my door. I open it and look out. None of the doors are open._

_There's whimpering coming from the living room. Sarah? I quietly leave my room, not wanting to wake the kids, and walk over to the living room._

_The light from the lamp is on, but the whimpering is louder, accompanied by small sniffles. I look over at the couch, not seeing Sarah. I follow the sounds over to the table. The lamp that's usually there is gone._

_I look down to see the lamp. It's shattered. What happened? I bend down to look under the table, and see Sarah shaking underneath._

_"Sarah? What's wrong? What happened?" I ask, reaching forward. She flinches and scoots back, shaking her head. "S-s-sorry. Didn't m-mean t-to." She says, putting her hands in front of her. Her palms are bleeding. Did she try cleaning it up?_

_I reach forward again and place my hand on her shoulder. "It's okay sweetie. It was an accident, those happen. Lets just get your hands cleaned up. I'll clean up the lamp later." She nods shallowly and crawls out from under the table._

_I lead her over to the kitchen, picking her up and placing her on the counter. She's so light. I need to get her to eat something. I grab a rag from beside the sink and wet it._

_I wring out the rag and start to wipe away the blood. She winces occasionally, but nothing more than that. After cleaning the blood, I place the rag in the sink and look around in the cabinents. I find a box of band-aids and place them next to Sarah._

_"I don't have any proper bandages, but I do have the next best thing." I tell her as I take out a few band-aids. She doesn't move as I put the baand-aids on her cuts._

_"Sorry."_

_"What for?"_

_"Broke it." She replies. I smile and kiss her forehead. "You don't need to apologize sweetie. Accidents happen."_

_"Accidents?" She asks, leaning her head to the side a little._

_"Things you don't mean to do." I tell her. She nods her head and looks down at her hands. She smiles a little and repeats the word. I smile down at her and take her hands. "C'mon, let's get you some food."_

_End of Flashback~_

**Sarah's POV**

I hear Mom clear her throat from behind me. I look back to see her smiling and holding a pair of goggles. She walks over and hands me the goggles. I thank her and start to wrap it them in ductape.

After using half of the roll, better safe then sorry, I hand the goggles to El. "This will keep it dark for you. Just like in the tank." She nods and looks down. _Poor girl is scared._

"You're a very brave girl. You know that, don't you?" Mom asks her. "Everything you're doing for my boy, for Will, for my family. Thank you." She grabs El's one of her hands, me grabbing the other, making her look up.

"Listen, I am going to be there with you the whole time. We both are. If it ever gets too scary in that place, just let me know, okay?" She tells her. I squeeze El's hand and giver her a determined glance. Slowly, she nods.

"Ready?" I ask.

"Ready."

I help Eleven off of the table. I look at Mom and we share a look. _God, please let Eleven do this without anything bad happening._

I lead them back to the gym, seeing everyone just about finished with everything. I jog a little closer to them. "You guys doing all the fun stuff without us?" I yell.

They all look over at us, the kids laughing a little. "Yeah right. This is 'fun'." Nancy says, rolling her eyes. I walk over to her side and sling my arm ariund her shoulder. "Of course it is Nance. Filling up a pool, pouring pounds of salt into it. That's the dream." I say sarcasticly.

I hear more laughter, lifting the moment for a short moment. Quickly though, everyone remembers what we're supposed to be doing. I sigh and take my arm off of her shoulders and walk over to the edge of the kiddie pool.

Eleven walks over to the edge opposite of me and starts to take off her socks and watch. Mom takes both items. SHe puts the goggles on and allows us to guide her into the pool.

She sits down in the center and lays back, floating. Mom sits down next to me. The lights start to flicker.

It's quiet. We all wait with baited breath, for something, anything, to happen. I reah out to grab Mom's hand, and she takes my hand, gently squeezing it. It helps me calm down, but not by much.

"Babara?" El says suddenly.

Nancy looks over at me as she leans forward. I can hear faint growling coming from the walkie perched on a crate. _Please let them both be safe. Please don't let this mean what I think it means._

The lights start to flicker again while Eleven's breathing picks up. I grip the side of the pool with my free hand, barely controlling the urge to reach out for El.

"What's going on?" Nancy asks.

"I don't know." Mike whispers.

Nancy leans forward again. "Is Barb okay?" She asks, fear clear in her voice.

"Gone. Gone." El says, voice shaking. Her voice raises, practicly screaming. Mom tries to reassure her, but she keeps screaming.

Nancy's crying into Jonathan's shoulder. I let go of Mom's hand and the pool side, and reach out to El. I take her hand and pull her towards me. Mom and Hopper reach out as well, helping me pull her closer.

"We're right here. It's okay, it's okay. You're okay. I'm right here. You're safe." I tell her. She holds my arm in an iron grip, breathing heavily.

"We got you. Don't be afraid." Mom reassures her. Her breathing finally slows. Hop and Mom let her go, but it takes me a moment to let her go. We push her a little into the center of the pool, letting her concentrate once more.

I sigh and run my hand through my hair, trying to calm down myself. _Barb's gone. This is all my fault._

"Sarah, are you okay? You're crying." Dustin asks. I look over at him, seeing his concerned look. I nod my head and wip my face. "M'fine Dusty."

"Castle Byers."

I look down at El, smiling a little. _The hideout Jonathan, Will, and I made. Did she find him?_ "Will?"

My smile grows wider and I feel tears prickle in the corner of my eyes. "You tell him that I'm coming. Mom is coming." Mom tells her, leaning forward. Suddenly, static start coming from the radio.

"Hurry." Will's broken voice sounds. He sounds so tired. _It's okay Will, we're coming for you. I promise._

"You tell him to stay where he is. we're coming, honey." She pushes. Now, whimpering is coming from the radio.

Eleven starts to thrash in the water before shooting upward, gasping for air. I grab onto her arm and pull her closer. She grips my arms tightly, shaking like a leaf.

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm here. You're not there anymore." I tell her, holding her closer. Mom holds both of us. "You did so well, sweetie." She whispers.

El starts to cry, not letting up her tight grip. "It's okay. I promise you, you are never going back there as long as I'm with you." I reassure her.

She starts to calm down, but the shaking doesn't stop. She loosens her grip on my arm, but she doesn't let go. I lift her out of the water, helping her out. "Guys, one of you get the towel we brought." I yell, brringing her over to the bleachers.

Mike walks over to us, towel in hand, and places it around her shoulders. He helps me dry her off, making her stop shaking a little. I watch Mom, Hopper, and Jonathan leave the gym.

 _They're probably going to get Will. I would go with them, but I need to make sure these kids are safe. I trust Hopper, he can protect them._ I rub El's arm as I wait for them to come back, to at least tell us where they're going.

Finally, Jonathan walks back in. He walks over to where Nancy's sitting, and starts to talk to her. _If Jonathan's still here, there's no doubt in my mind he's gonna try something._

"Hey, um, Mike. I'm gonna check on Nance and Jonathan. You mind staying with El?" I ask him. He quickly nods his head, making me smile. Cute. _He has a crush on El. It's so obvious._

I hop off the bleachers and walk over to the two. They seemed to be in the middle of talking, but they stop as soon as they see me. "Hey Jonathan. What happened out there?"

"Mom and Hopper are going to get Will." He replies quickly. I nod my head. "Okay, so we're just gonna stay here?" I ask.

"Uh, well, y-"

"No. We have to help them." Nancy says, interrupting what Jonathan wanted to say.

"How so?"

"They're walking in there like bait. We have to help them. We have to finish what we started." She says, determination dripping in her tone.

"So you want to go after the demogorgon? You'd both be killed!" I tell them, waving my hands around.

"Well, Nancy brought up a good point after she told me." Jonathan starts.

"And do tell me what this point was."

"That you should come."

"Are you serious?!? I have to stay here to protect these kids! I can't just leave." I yell. _I told El that I was staying with her. I don't want to leave her alone._

"But you must know at least a little about that place. You told us yourself, you're from there too." Nancy pushes, getting closer to me. I cross my arms and look back at the kids.

_I should probably stay here, but Nancy and Jonathan could get hurt. They have no clue what could happen to them. The kids have El, who I know can defend herself, but should I still leave her?_

_It's either a group of kids I've protected this entire time, or my brother and one of my best friends, who just want to help Mom and Hopper. The kids have Eleven, but Nance and Jonathan have no one. And I do know the Upside Down and it's monsters really well, too well for that matter._

I sigh and look back at them. "Fine. I'll help both of you, only because I know you'd both be hopeless without me. I do know that monster pretty well." They both smile and try to pull me along.

"Woah woah woah! I have to tell the others, we can't just leave and not tell them." I scold. They both sigh, but they nod. I tell them to wait before running off to the kids.

I slow to a jog once I reach them. The boys stand up on the bleachers once they see me. "Hey guys, so I got some news."

"Good news?" Lucas asks.

"Well, it's news. Mom and Hopper went out to go save Will. And Nancy, Jonathan and I are going to help them. Okay bye!" I rush out the last bit, before turning.

"Wait wait wait! Sarah Rayne Byers get back here this instant!" Dustin yells. _I knew it was a bad idea to tell them my middle name._ Slowly, I turn back around to face them. "What do you mean? You can't leave!"

I sigh and look down. "I'm sorry guys, but I have to help them. I know you guys can handle yourselves, you've been doing pretty good so far. But they need my help. They need someone who knows about the Upside Down like the back of their hand." I explain, wanting to get my point across.

Slowly, and reluctantly most likely, they start nodding. I smile a little and let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for understanding, guys. And if you ever need me, remember to call me on the radios. I promise I'll be back as soon as possible." I tell them before turning to run over to Nancy and Jonathan.

"Oh, by the way." I say, quickly facing them. I walk backwards so I'm still moving. "One, stop using the middle name card." That makes them laugh a little.

"And two, Dustin's in charge." I yell before running the rest of the way. I laugh as I hear them bicker over my descision. _At least we have a few things to lighten the mood during this dark time. I just hope those kids will be okay._


	18. Sarah Vs Demogorgon

**Sarah's POV**

"Hey, um, thanks for coming with us. Besides the whole, you knowing more than us, you didn't have to." Jonathan stammers. I glance at him as we reach my the car. I laugh a little and shake my head. "Yeah, I kinda do have to come with you guys."

He gives me a weird look as I dig through my pocket. "I'm the one with keys." I say, jingling the keys before unlocking the car door. I hear him laugh as I climb into the front seat. Johnathan climbs in next to me and Nancy takes the back.

I stick the key in the ignition and start the car. The engine roars to life, and I pull out of the school parking lot. The radio sounds, playing _'Should I Stay Or Should I Go'. Appropriate._

The drive to our house is dead quiet. After minutes filled with pure tension, I finally pull up to our house and park the car. "C'mon, the stuff should still be in the trunk." I say, quickly climbing out of the car. They follow me and help me get everything out. We take the weapons and traps and bring them inside.

I drop a box on top of the table in the center of the living room. I look around as I lean against the box. _The christmas lights... We were able to find Will through the lights, so maybe it might work on the demogorgon._

"How do we lure it here?" Nancy asks.

I look at them with an eyebrow raised. "So you guys wanted to find and kill this thing, but you didn't even think far enough to know how to get it's attention?!" They both shake their heads. _Well, I guess I'll have to fill in all the holes in their plan._

I sigh and run my hand down my face. "We use blood to lure it. The more the better, but even a small cut can get it's attention." I say, placing both hands on the table behind me. They nod along, but they look a little nervous.

"But we don't have to do that yet, I'd much prefer to do it later. We first need to prepare, like traps, weapons, and a way of tracking the bitch. That's where the lights come in."

"The lights?" Nancy asks.

"Yup." I move closer to the string of lights hanging from the ceiling. I reach out and grab the strand. "These suckers work like trackers. Anything that moves in the Upside Down, Will, Mom and Hopper, or the demogorgon, will light up the bulbs. Whenever a light goes off, we'll know something is near. We just need to screw in the bulbs." I hear them groan, but they move to the tiny bulbs left on the table. We all go to different parts of the house and start screwing in all of the lightbulbs.

After a couple of minutes, all the bulbs are in place. I walk back over to the box on the table. I pull out the bear trap and drop it on the table. They both jump at the loud noise. "Sorry." I whisper.

"Now that we have tracking out of the way, we still need traps and weapons. I'll get weapons together if you guys think you can set up the traps." They both nod their heads. _I'll probably have to use my powers when this thing arrives. Better them knowing late than never._

I dig through the box, grabbing the box of nails and the bullets. I look back over at Johnathan and call out to him. "Hey Johnathan. Do you know where the gun is? We have bullets, and I don't think you guys know how to handle one properly." I say.

Nancy walks forward, looking determined. "I know how to use one." She says. I raise both eyebrows and nod slowly. _Suprising._ I clear my throat and stick my hand out. "Alright then, you can take the gun. I'll just get Johnathan and I's bats and spruce them up." I say, making my way to the back door.

"Spruce them up?" Johnathan asks.

"Like put nails in it. Make it more lethal." I explain.

"Why are you leaving, we have nails here?"

"You guys can use those for the traps. There's more in the shed." I say before walking out the back door. I speed walk over to the shed and throw open the door. Before I walk in, a bark stops me.

I look to the side to see Chester, our dog. He has shaggy white fur. _Forgot he was here. I guess I forgot because I haven't been at the house often._ I smile as I bend down. "Heya Chester. How ya doin' bud?" He barks at me and lets me scratch his head.

I scratch behind his ears, making his tail wag quickly. _Poor dog, getting ignored during this._ I stand up and look back at the shed. I sigh and look down at his shaggy face. "Sorry buddy, but I can't stick around. You need to get out of here." He tilts his head to the side, giving me a sad look.

I bend down again and kiss his head. "Think you can run to Castle Byers?" He barks again, tail wagging.

I smile and point at the woods. "Alright go. I'll come get you later, promise." He stands up and runs in the direction I pointed in. _It's like he understands me._ I quickly stand up and get back to the task at hand.

I walk into the shed and grab the small stool that was inside. I place it infront of a shelf and step up onto it. I grab the box of nails on the shelf. I step down and get ready to leave, when something catches my eye.

There's a collection of barbed wire in the corner of the shed near the door. _When did we buy this?_ I look at the box of nails in my hand then back at the barbed wire. I shrug and go to pick it up. _Could use this to spruce up my bat._

After grabbing it, I make my way back to the house. I walk in to see Johnathan and Nancy against a wall. I drop the nails and barbed wire on the table, gaining their attention. "You guys set up the trap?" I ask.

They nod and Johnathan pulls out a bat. I take it from him and bring it to the table. I look down, seeing a dark trail on the carpet. "You spill something?"

"It's gasoline. We're gonna light it on fire." Johnathan says. _Smart_. I nod my head and place his bat on the table. My bat was already on the table. I get to work, hammering nails into Johnathan's bat, and wrapping mine in the barbed wire.

After a while, I finish and hand Johnathan his bat. He thanks me and moves to the kitchen. "We came up with a plan while you were outside." Nancy says. I walk over to her, after grabbing my bat.

"Well, you gonna fill me in?"

"When it comes, we go straight into Will's room. We don't step on the trap and we wait for the yo-yo to move. Then we burn it." She explains. I nod along and lean against the wall. "Good plan."

Johnathan comes back from the kitchen, holding three knives. "You ready?" He asks, handing us a knife. We both nod, holding the knives to our palms.

_Just a simple cut. That's all it takes. There's no turning back now._

"On three." He says.

"One." I push it against my palm.

"Two." Nancy says. I brace myself for the pain.

"Three." I say. At the same time, we all slice into our hands. The knife breaks the skin, making blood rush out quickly. It hurts like hell, making me curse under my breath.

I drop the knife and hold my hand. Blood starts to fall from my hand, staining the carpet. I hear the other wince and hiss in pain. "I-I'll get the bandages." I say, quickly walking to the kitchen.

I keep my hand close to my chest, staining my jacket, as I look through the cabinents under the sink. Finally, I find the first aid kit. I grab it and bring it to the living room, seeing Nancy and Johnathan sitting on the couch.

"Sorry it took so long. It was all the way in the back." I apologize as I open the kit. I grab the bandages and hand them to Nancy. She starts to wrap her hand, then moves to wrap Johnathan's hand. She hands it back to me afterwards.

I use it to wrap my hand, wrapping it tight enough to stop the bleeding, but not too tight to hurt my hand further. I pull my jacket off and toss it behind me. Suddenly, we hear a creaking sound. I tense and reach out for my bat.

"It's just the wind." Johnathan says, putting his hand on Nancy's. I nod and slide down onto the floor, my back to the couch. _Please don't let Johnathan get all deep and 'flirt'. This girl is taken. And she's one of my bestfriends._

"Nancy?"

"Yeah?"

Suddenly, something, or someone maybe, starts pounding on the door. _Should I be happy that whatever it is stopped whatever was going on?_ I stand up quickly and rush to the door, bat in hand. I raise the bat up, ready for whatever may come.

"Johnathan!"

 _Steve?!? What the hell is he doing here?!_ I lower the bat and look back at the other two. They look as confused as how I feel. "Are you there man? It's...It's Steve!" Steve yells, pounding on the door even harder.

"Listen, I just wanna talk!"

Nancy quickly walks up to the door and opens it just a crack. From what I can see, Steve's face looks bloody. _Is that from the fight?_

"Steve, listen to me." She starts.

"Hey. Nancy, what-"

"You need to leave."

"I'm not trying to start anything, okay?" He reassures.

"I don't care about that. You need to leave."

"No no no. Listen, I messed up okay?" He says, voice raising at the end of his sentence. He bangs his fist against the door as he tries to talk. "I messed up. Really. Please. I just want to make things right. Please." His voice sounds so broken.

I move over to Nancy, still being hidden by the door, and try to tell her to open the door, but Steve starts talking again.

"What happened to your hand? Is that blood?" Nancy moves her hand quickly. "Nothing. It was an accident."

"What's going on?"

"Nothing."

Steve starts to grab at the door, trying to open it. "Did he do this to you?" He asks. Nancy starts to try to push him, telling him no, but he doesn't give up. I take a step back, incase I get hit by the door, and move over to Johnathan.

After a bit of struggle, Steve makes his way inside. He looks around, his eyes widening. "What is...what the?"

I walk up to him and give him the calmest look I can muster. "Steve, you need to leave. Please." I say in a quiet voice. I start to lightly push him back in the direction of the door. He looks down at me, his face clearly showing concern. He grabs my hand, making me stop. Sadly, the hand he grabbed was the hand I cut, so I hiss in pain, making him look down at my hand.

"Sarah? What happened? Is that a black eye? Did I do that? What's going on?" He asks. _Man, forgot about that black eye._

Now that I can see him clearly, I notice that his face is bloody and bruised. _From the fight, probably._

"Nothing happened Steve. I'm fine. Nancy's fine. We're all fine, but you need to leave." I say again. Steve doesn't stop, making Johnathan come up and push him away. "Listen to me. I'm not asking you, I'm telling you to leave." He demands.

"What is that smell? Is that gasoline?!" Steve asks, resisting Johnathan. He starts to freak out. I try to get in between them, but there's no room for me to do that.

Suddenly, we hear a gun cock. "Steve, get out!" Nancy says, pointing a gun at him. _What the fuck!?!_ Johnathan moves, letting me stand in front of Steve. I put my hands out, my back to him, and stare at Nancy.

"Nance, put the gun down!"

"Wait. What?! What is going on?" Steve yells, putting his hands up.

"You have five seconds to get out of here."

"Okay, is this a joke? Put the gun down."

I stay quiet, keeping my hands out. I keep my eyes on Nancy. She looks worried. _Thank god. It's obvious she's bluffing, but she did worry me. We just need to get Steve out of here, not make him run to the police._

Suddenly, the lights start flickering. "Shit. It's here." I whisper. The yelling doesn't stop. "Nancy!"

She looks dow at me, gun still pointed at Steve, she looks scared. "The lights." Johnathan whispers. "It's here."

"W-what's here?!" Steve panics. Johnathan grabs his bat and Nancy's hand. "Where is it?" She asks. I push the handle of my bat into Steve's hands. "If you're going to stay, take this." He starts to panic again.

"I don't know, I don't see it." Johnathan answers Nancy. I clench my fists, feeling them heat up. _It's now or never._

"Where's what? Why do I need this?!" Steve demands. The lights start flickering even faster, making my hands shake.

"Hello? Will someone please explain to me what the hell is going-" Steve yells, but is cut off by a crashing sound. I look up at the ceiling. In the corner of the ceiling, I can see the demogorgon crawling out. Nancy shoots at it, making it angrier.

It falls onto the floor, standing up slowly. I push Nancy behind me. I can see a scorch mark on one of it's petals, a reminder of what happened last time.

I push all of the heat in my body into one hand, clenching it tighter. The demogorgon starts to growl, making the others tug on my shoulders. I ignore them, keeping one arm behind me. I shoot out my other hand, sending a blast of water at the demogorgon and making it fall back.

"Go go go!" I yell, pushing them towards the hall. I jump over the bear trap and run into Will's room. The others follow me inside, huffing. I shut the door, locking it.

"What the hell was that?!" Steve asks.

"Shut up!" We all yell at him. It all goes quiet. I keep my hands on the door, breathing heavily. _That's it. Everyone knows now. They probably hate me._

The sound of static breaks the silence. "Sarah come in! You're not answering your radio, so please answer Will's!" I hear Dustin's voice say.

I turn around, fear clear on my face. I rush over to Will's bed, seeing the walkie on it. The others move out of my way. I pick it up and answer. "What's going on Dustin? What's happening?"

"It's the lab! They found us!"

I drop the radio, my hands shaking. _I'm not with them. I should have stayed. Now they could get hurt and El could be taken away and this would all be my fault._

"Sarah? Sarah!"

I shake my head and pick up the radio. "I'm here. Dustin I'm a little preoccupied with something, but I'll be there as soon as possible. Just hide and don't come out 'til I get there. Understand?"

"Yes."

I end the com and slump a little, my body shaking. _I need to get there and quick._

"Sarah?" I hear Nancy ask. I look over at her. They're all staring at me, standing a few feet away. _They're scared of me...._

I run my hand through my hair and groan. I feel my hands heat up again, but I will them to cool down. I let out a shakey breath and finally look them all in the eye. "Okay, I know what you're all thinking. I promise, I will explain everything when all of this is over and done with, but right now I have to get back to those kids. I'm a freak, I know, but I'll be damned if anything happens to those kids!"

They're silent. Suddenly, the lights stop flickering. "What are we gonna do? We can't just walk out of here with that thing inside." Nancy asks.

I walk closer to the door, holding the knob. "We do what we planned on doing. We torch the sucker." I slowly unlock and open the door, poking my head out. There's no sign of it. I walk out of the room, the others following me, and yet nothing happens. Not even when I walk into the living room. It's gone.

"This is crazy. This is crazy. This is crazy!" Steve mumbles, keeping the bat close to himself. I look at Johnathan, and he's just as confused as I am. _How did it disappear? It's a big thing, it shouldn't be able to hide like this._

Steve runs over to the phone and tries to dial a number, but Nancy stops him. "What are you doing? Are you insane?" He yells.

"It's going to come back, so you need to leave." Nancy says. Steve just nods before bolting it out of here. _I should go too, but it could come back._ Before I can make a decision, the lights start to pulse brightly.

I bring my hands up, channling heat into them. "Come on you son of a bitch." I mumble. Johnathan and Nancy press their backs against mine, holding their weapons at the ready.

"Where are you? Come on!" Johnathan yells. The lights stop flickering. The power goes out. The only sound is our breathing. I suddenly hear growling come from behind me. I whip around, seeing the demogorgon, and light my hands on fire, lighting up the area around us.

It pounces on me, making my flames go out. It starts growling, opening it's face like a flower. It's spit falls onto my face. I can hear Nancy and Johnathan yelling my name, but I can't focus on anything but the demogorgon's breath. It reeks like death.

It gets it's face closer, and I lose it. My powers won't work. My body is shaking uncontrollably. I scream, the loudest I've ever screamed in years.

I hear gunshots, but it won't get off of me. _I'm going to die. I'm really going to die! This isn't a nightmare anymore._ It cries out in pain and anger, but it barely moves. All it does is move it's head, facing Nancy. I try to kick it off, but it's too heavy.

Suddenly, it slumps. It moves its hands off of my arms, letting me get out. I shuffle back and look up. It's Steve. _He saved me..._

I blush a little, quickly pulling myself up. Steve continues hitting it with the bat, making it move away and circle him. He backs it up into the bear trap, trapping it.

It cries out, but it can't move. "Light it up!" Nancy yells.

"I dropped the lighter!" Johnathan yells. I groan and push them away, pushing them closer to the door. I snap my fingers, creating a small spark, which falls onto the trail of gasoline.

It lights up the trail and sets the demogorgon on fire. It screetches in pain, but I don't waste another second. I push everyone out of the house, running over to the cars.

I look down at my wrists, seeing them bruise already. I can still hear the screetching. The others are breathing heavily, leaning on one another.

 _Shit!_ I run over to my car, throwing the door open. "Sarah? What are you doing?" Nancy asks. I shove my keys in the ignition as I answer her. "I have to get to those kids, they're counting on me. I'm sorry, but I have to go." I say, quickly slamming the door closed.

I pull out of the dirt driveway, ignoring their calls, and make my way towards the school. _Those three can handle themselves now that the bitch is roasting_. I tighten my grip on the steering wheel and drive faster.

_Don't worry guys. I'm coming._


	19. It's All Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah races off to save the kids, but will she make it in time?

**Sarah's POV**

I swerve into the school parking lot, slamming on the brake. The car skids to a halt. I take the keys out of the ignition and rush out of the car. I don't even bother locking it.

I run to the entrance of the gym, throwing the doors open. "Guys?!" I call out, cupping my hands around my mouth. I get no answer. I look behind the bleachers, seeing no sign of them. _They must've ran to a classroom or something. This will take forever to find them. And on top of that, I need to avoid the people from the lab._

I push the gym doors aside and run out into the hall. "Dustin? Lucas? Mike?" I call out. I run down hall after hall, checking in each classroom I pass. Still no sign of them. A bad feeling starts to bubble in my gut.

I didn't take my radio out of my car, so I can't call them. "Mike! El! Lucas!"

I run down the hall on my left. I skid to a stop at the sight in front of me.

There's blood everywhere. On the walls and all over the floor. _What the fuck happened here?_ There's a body in the center of it all. I walk forward, avoiding the pools of blood. It's a man, with familiar silver hair.

 _Brenner... Karma's a bitch ain't she? But how did this happen? El couldn't have done this._ Brenner's chest is torn open, his innerds on the outside. They're torn apart as well. His face is in a permanent expression of pure fear.

I look back at all the blood and look at the walls. On the wall facing me are cracks, leading to debris and rubble on the floor. I take a step back, nearly tripping on Brenner's body.

 _It escaped... We didn't kill it. The blood got it's attention and it killed Brenner. It must still be here._ I trip and fall, my hand falling in a smaller pool of blood.

I start to hyperventilate, my head hurting and my hands shaking. I shake my head, trying to push the pain away for now. I pull myself up and run down the hall, following the trail of broken ceiling lights.

I can hear growling coming from the classrooms down the hall. The lights are flickering quickly, making my head hurt even more. I feel my nose bleed. My hands start to heat up. _Eleven, please be okay. Don't let any of my kids be hurt._

I slide to a stop outside of an open classroom. Inside are the kids and the demogorgon. I try to call out to them, but Eleven stops me. She stares at me, pain clear in her eyes.

She shoots her hand out towards me, making me fly back against the wall. She also slams the door shut. I hit my head on the wall, making my vision spin.

I groan and hold my head. I shakily stand up and grab the door handle. I try to open the door, but it's locked. I feel my eyes water as I try to unlock the door.

"El, please! You can't do this!" I yell, pounding on the door. She doesn't look at me.

_Flashback montage~_

_"Hey, El. I'm going to be here for you, no matter what. I hope you can trust me, well, because..." I trail off as I pull up my fingerless gloves. "I come from the same place." El reaches her hand out and touches the scar. "You know bad men?" She asks looking up at me. I nod my head and smile down at her. "I swear to you that I'll help you no matter what." I whisper to her. I pull my hand away and tug down my gloves._

_..._

_"Alright, so I've never done this before to anyone, so this is new for both of us." I say, putting some blush on a brush. I put it on her face, but she scrunches her nose. "No, you need to keep a straight face. See?" I laugh, before demonstrating on myself._

_She nods and lets me do it another time. "This what sisters do?" El asks after I finish with the blush. I smile. "Yeah, that's what sisters do, so I guess we're sisters." I say, grabbing a mirror. I hand it to her, and she smiles. "Pretty." She mumbles. She hands me back the mirror. "Not just pretty, beautiful." I compliment._

_..._

_I smile down at her and put my hand on her shoulder. "Hey, how about when all of this is over, you and me go hang out. Just us girls. After we find Will, you'll get to meet him, and you'll be part of our family. We could be like real sisters." I gush._

_"Sisters?"_

_"Of course. I'm not losing you."_

_..._

_"It's okay. I promise you, you are never going back there as long as I'm with you."_

_End of Flashback montage~_

I pound on the door even harder, tears falling from my eyes. I see her raise her hand towards the demogorgon, pinning it against the wall. It's screetchs and yells fill up the room and the hallway, muffling my yelling and pounding.

Dust starts to fly around the two of them. She turn to the boys saying something, but the monster makes it hard for me to hear it.

"Eleven! Please don't do this! Please!" I scream, throwing my body weight against the door. More dust flies around, blocking them from my field of vision.

The demogorgon gets louder and louder, when it suddenly stops screaming. It all goes quiet. The door flies open, making me fall to the ground.

I look up, coughing as the dust settles. They're both gone. _I failed her. I was too late. Now she's gone. Forever._

**Time Skip**

**3rd person POV**

Sarah follows the boys out of the school. She ignores everything around her. Dustin tries to talk to her, but he gets no response.

The sounds of sirens fill the air, the sirens flooding blue and red light around them. Several officers and paramedics confront them, but none get through to Sarah. She has a dull look in her eyes.

A new car joins the now full parking lot. It parks right next to her's. Steve, Johnathan, and Nancy climb out of it. They all try to find someone. Nancy looks for Mike. Johnathan and Steve look around for Sarah.

They decide to split up, being able to look around quicker. Johnathan runs into Mike, Nancy, and Lucas, and they help him look for Sarah. Steve runs into Dustin, and he helps him.

Finally, Steve finds Sarah. She's standing in the middle of the parking lot, staring at the asphalt. "Sarah!" Steve yells. For the first time, she looks up at him.

Steve runs up to her, but stops as soon as he sees her face. There's blood coming from her nose and tear tracks on her cheeks. Her eyes are puffy and her cheeks are pink. Her eyes hold the saddest look he's ever seen.

"Sarah, what happened in there?" He asks, slowly getting closer to her. He puts his hand on her arm. Behind him, the others finally found them.

Sarah mumbles something, too quiet for him to hear. He asks his question again. She begins to shake, before she finally yells.

"SHE'S GONE!!!" She cries. Her voice cracks as she's bombarded with tears. She yelled loud enough for everyone to hear. She starts to sob uncontrollably, slumping down. Steve wraps his arms around her, letting her sob into his shoulder.

Everyone is shocked into silence. None of them have ever seen her like this before.

Dustin's eyes water, seeing his honerary older sister like this. Nobody knows how to react.

"I-its's all m-my fault! Sh-she's gone 'cause of me!" Sarah grips onto Steve's arms tightly, her knuckles turning white. She grips onto him like a lifeline. Sobs rack her body, making her feel weak.

Sarah's heartbroken cries are the only sounds in the air. After painful moments, her cries finally die down. She's left to sniffles and hushed words.

Johnathan finally breaks off from the others, walking over to Steve and Sarah. He cautiously puts his hand on her shoulder. She sluggishly lifts her head off of Steve's shoulder, her face redder than before.

"Um, they found Will. They're at the hospital now. We should get going." He says awkwardly.

Sarah nods her head, but she doesn't move. Steve rubs her shoulders. "C'mon, you should probably see your brother." Sarah finally moves, wiping her face.

Her eyes are droopy and she's wobbly, needing help from Steve to stand.

They decide to split up into two cars. Johnathan, Nancy, Mike, and Lucas taking Sarah's car since it was bigger. Steve, Dustin, and Sarah take Steve's car.

Steve helps Sarah into the passenger seat, making Dustin sit in the back. As soon as her head hits the headrest, she's out like a light.

Steve starts the car and follows Johnathan to the hospital. Dustin looks out the window, watching the scenery go by. They both share a smiliar thought.

_The stress of it all finally caught up with her._

**Time Skip**

**Sarah's POV**

"Sarah?" A voice calls out from the darkness. I groan and move away from the voice.

"Sarah, c'mon, we're at the hospital." The voice says again. I feel a hand shake my shoulder. I groan again and swat it away. "I'm not sick." I mumble.

"Not for you. We're here for Will." A new voice says. I slowly open my eyes at the mention of my brother's name.

_Will..._

_The Upside Down..._

_Eleven's gone._

Memories rush back, making my eyes water. I nod my head and look up. Steve's standing outside of the car I'm in, Dustin standing next to him. I slowly get out, with the help from Steve.

He leads us into the hospital. At the front desk, I can see everyone. Johnathan is talking to the lady sitting behind the desk.

"My brother was just admitted. His name is Will Byers." He says. I walk up to them, crossing my arms.

"Well, considering how he looked when he was brought in, nobody can visit him yet. But you can wait with your parents in the waiting room." The lady says, pointing to a secluded room near the hall.

Johnathan thanks her before turning to walk away. He almost bumps into me. His eyes widen as he looks at me. _Man, how bad must I look?_

I hear someone clear their throat, making me look back at the lady. She looks me up and down before giving me a concerned look. "Sweetie, what happened? Are your nose and eye okay?" She asks.

I bring my hand up to my nose, feeling a wetness on my fingers when I touch it. I look down at my hand, seeing blood on my fingertips. I quickly wipe my nose and give her a small smile. "I-I'm fine ma'am. I get nosebleeds pretty often. And I um, ran into a door." I lie.

She nods and starts to read through a magazine. I let out a sigh of relief and walk over to the waiting room, not bothering to wait for the others.

I push the door open and sit in the chair next to it. Mom and Hopper are sitting in the corner. Everyone walks in, taking seats wherever they can. The kids line up beside me, Dustin right next to me and Mike on the end.

Steve, Nancy, and Johnathan sit on the chairs opposite from me. My knee starts to bounce, my anxiety going through the roof.

"Sarah, what happened? Are you okay?" Mom asks. I don't look at her. _I don't want to see the pain on her face when I tell her. I know she cared about Eleven too._

"She's gone. They're both gone."

"They?"

"El and the monster."

I hear a gasp followed by a small cry, most likely from Mom. "Sarah, We're so sorry. We know how much-" Johnathan starts, but I interrupt him.

"No you don't." I snap. I feel bad, but all I see is red.

"What?"

"You don't know how much I cared about her. You weren't there. You don't know what it's like to finally have someone, who is like you and understands what you've gone through, after years of being alone." I spit. Everyone's quiet, but I don't stop.

I feel my eyes water, from the stress and anger. "I was supposed to take care of her, give her a better life. Like Mom did for me. But I couldn't do that. I broke my promise to her, and now she's gone because of me." My voice cracks.

I hunch over, placing my elbows on my knees. I feel Dustin put his hand on my shoulder. I give him a sad smile and pat his hand. I sigh and look up at Johnathan. He looks shocked, and a little guilty. _Shit. I did that._

I rub my eyes, trying to get the sleepiness out of them. "Johnathan, I-I'm really sorry. It's just.... it hurts." I say, getting quieter.

"It's fine."

I look down before standing up. "I'm gonna take a breather, clear my head. I'll be right back." I say. I walk out of the waiting room and into the hallway. I start to walk over to the entrance, but the woman behind the desk stops me.

"Sweetie, come over here." She says, waving me over. I look from the door to her before slowly walking up to her.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Now I know when a kid lies, I have a few of my own. How'd you really get hurt?" She asks, crossing her arms. I laugh a little and run my hand through my hair. "I got into a fight with some kid at my school. It's been a difficult couple of days." I lie.

She smiles and nods, laughly lightheartedly. "Looks like a fight. Do you want some ice?"

"No thank you. I'll be fine." I reassure her. She nods her head and reaches down for something. "Here, I don't offer everyone this, but you look like you need one." She says, pulling out a pack of cigarettes.

I look uneasily at the pack. _Ah, what the hell?_ I shrug and thank her as she hands me a cigarette. "You need a lighter?"

I laugh and look down at my hand. "No thanks, I have one." I thank her one more time before leaving the hospital.

As soon as I exit, I run into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry." I rush out.

"It's fine. Wait, Sarah? What happened to your face?" A familiar voice asks. I look up to see Mrs.Wheeler. She looks concerned. _If I had a quarter for everytime someone asked me about my face..._

Behind her, her husband and youngest daughter, Holly, look uninterested.

"Nothing, just ran into a door." I laugh. She gives me a suspicious look, but doesn't comment. She shakes her head, as if clearing her thoughts. "Are Nancy and Mike in there? We heard about Will." She asks.

"Yeah, they're in the waiting room. The lady at the desk will tell you where to go." I tell her. She thanks me and walks away, taking her child and husband with her.

Once they leave, I take out the cigarette. I snap my fingers, lighting my thumb on fire. I place the cigarette in my mouth and light it.

Once it's lit, I let the flame on my thumb die down. I breathe in, letting the smoke fill my lungs. I slowly breathe out, letting the smoke billow in the air. I repeat it a few more times.

"Sarah?" I look at the entrance, seeing Nancy standing in the middle of the entrance.

"Hey Nance. What'cha need?"

"You smoke?"

I laugh and flick the ash off of the cigarette. "I guess." I drop the cigarette and stomp it out. I cross my arms and turn to face Nancy. "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be inside with Steve and your family?"

She laughs. "I could say the same to you."

I roll my eyes. "What are you talking about? My family's fine without me."

"What about Steve?"

My eyes widen. "What do you mean. Steve will be fine. You should be the one with him, he's your boyfriend."

She rolls her eyes. "He's your bestfriend. Did you not see his face? He's worried sick about you."

"No he's not. And if he was, that's just what friends do. And he's not my bestfriend, well, he's one of the. You're also my bestfriend." I stammer.

"You can only have one bestfriend."

"Who said?"

"Jesus." I raise an eyebrow, watching her laugh a little. I laugh with her. After a while, her laughter dies down. It's quiet until she breaks the silence.

"He really cares, you know, about you. I'm suprised you don't see it." I sigh and rub my face.

"I know he cares, but that's just what friends do." I say. I uncross my arms and walk up to her. "C'mon, they're probably worrying by now." I say, placing my hand on her shoulder. We start to walk inside, but she stops suddenly.

"So when are you gonna explain the powers thing?"

I laugh. "I'll tell you tomorrow.

**Time Skip**

"Sarah! Wake up!" Some yells, shaking me. I groan and rub my eyes. "What?" I ask, opening one of my eyes. Mike's smiling wide. "Will's up!" That wakes me up quick. I stand up quick, a huge grin forming on my face.

"Well let's go!" I say, rushing past Johnathan and towards WIll's hospital room. The boys push past me and run into the room, slamming the door open. "Byers!" Mike yells.

I slow down to a walk and hang by the door. Will's awake and smiling. _He's alright._ I see Johnathan walk up next to me, leaning against the other side of the door.

"You will never believe what happened while you were gone!"

"It was mental!"

"You had a funeral."

The boys start to talk over one another, trying to tell Will about everything.

"Troy peed his pant! In front of the whole school!" Lucas laughs. Will starts laughing too, but that sends him into a coughing fit. I take a step away from the door, but I don;t move. I don't want to interrupt their time with him.

"You okay?" Mike asks.

Will looks sad as he stare at Mike. "It got me. The Demogorgon." He says. The boys look down. "We know." They all say.

Mike looks up quickly. "It's okay. It's dead. We made a new friend. She stopped it and saved us." Mike reassures him. "But she's gone now."

I look down and rub my arms, feeling shame flood my being. Dustin quickly tries to make the situation better. "Her name's Eleven."

"Like the number?" Will asks, confused.

"Well, we call her 'El' for short."

"She has superpowers!" Lucas whispers in admiration. They start to go back to telling him about everything, making my smile return. Quickly though, a nurse walks in.

"Only two people at a time!" She scolds, ushering the boys out. I laugh as they argue with her about the rule.

"Well, aren't you going to talk to him?" Johnathan asks. I look up at him and nod. I walk up to him and pull up a chair. He smiles brightly as he sees me.

"Hey Will. How you holding up?"

"Sarah, is it true that you met a girl with superpowers?!"

I laugh and nod my head, trying to hide my tears of joy. "Yeah, we did. You would have really liked her."

"Were they like your's?" He asks, lowering his voice. I chuckle and shake my head. "No, they were cooler than mine. And you don't need to keep it a secret anymore. Everyone knows." I reassure him.

He nods his head slowly, smile never leaving. I have a carbon copy smile on my face. "Remember my promise?"

"What promise?" He asks, tilting his head to the side.

"I believe I promised you a DnD campaign, and I plan on starting one as soon as you're out of here. And I did promise to buy all the snacks." I say, making him laugh.

"You better. And I'll beat any monster you throw my way!" He declares, before going into another coughing fit. I help him through it, smiling slightly. "I bet you will, Will the Wise." I say, barely missing the happy looks on Johnathan and Mom's faces from the door.

We continue to talk about anything and everything, making the atmosphere happier. _I may have lost someone, but I got my little brother back. I wouldn't change this outcome for the world....._  
 _..._  
 _..._  
 _...._

_Wait...Chester's still at Castle Byers. Shit!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end of Season 1! Hope you liked it! I will continue on with the next season, but I will focus more on some other stories I haven't touched in a while first. Please comment what you thought about this ending! Also sorry if the 3rd person thing was weird, I don't usually write like that. Stay curious!~Lunar


	20. Can't Go Back

**Sarah's POV**

I shut my car door and shove my hands into my pockets. I look up at the tall building. The lab's white walls send shivers down my spine. My fingers twitch for something to hold, or something to burn. _We're just here for Will's check up, nothing more, nothing less. We'll be in and out, hopefully._

The sound of a car stopping makes me look up. I watch Hopper's truck park in front of my car. Mom, Will, and Johnathan walk up beside me. Hopper climbs out of his truck, swinging the car door closed. He nods at us before walking up to the doors.

My hands start shaking, but I swallow my fear. "Sarah?" I hear Will say next to me. I look over at him and give him a fake smile, but he obviously sees through it.

"You okay?" He asks, walking with me. I nod quickly and swallow the spit in my mouth. "Of course Will. Just weird being here again. You don't need to worry about me." I reassure him.

He slowly nods his head, messing with his fingers. I frown down at him, feeling bad. _Shit, I made him feel more nervous that he already is._ I pat him on the shoulder and give him a reassuring smile. "Will, there's no need to worry. They changed this place up, so I've been told. It's just a simple check up too. That's not scary, right?"

"I guess you're right." He sighs. I smile and pat his shoulder again, before stopping with everyone else at the front desk. "Hi, we're here to see Dr.Owens." Hopper says.

"I'm right here." Says a voice to our right. Dr.Owens steps out of the elevator, smiling at us. It does nothing to help with my nerves. I rub my arms, holding myself tightly. "Hi, I'm Dr.Owens. And you must be the Byers." He says, shaking Mom and Hopper's hands.

Hopper blushes and shakes his head. _Huh, have to ask about that later._ "No, just a friend." He says. Owens apologizes and moves to shake Johnathan's hand. When he gets to me, I reluctantly shake his hand. "You must be?"

"Sarah." I reply curtly, giving him a tight smile. He glances down at my hand, but I retract my arm before he can see my number. He moves to shake Will's hand, finally finishing with introductions. I rub my hands, feeling them heat up a little. _C'mon Sarah, keep it under control!_ Owens looks back at Hopper and gestures to the elevator.

"Well, I'll show you all to the room we're going to be doing the check up. If you'll follow me." He says, walking into the elevator. We follow him inside.

I walk over to the back corner and sigh. I rub my eyes and try to calm my breathing. I already feel the headache coming. "Sarah?" I hear Mom ask. I feel her place her hand on my shoulder.

I look up at her, raising my eyebrow. "Are you okay sweetie? I know you don't like being here, do you want to go out to the car?" She asks. I put my hand on hers, willing it to cool down for at least a moment, and shake my head. I give her a small smile. _So many fake smiles. I don't think I can keep this up all day._

"I'm fine Mom. And I wanna stay. Just need a little time." I reassure her. She nods, but the concerned look in her eyes doesn't go away. The elevator dings, cutting through the awkward silence.

Owens leads us down hall after hall. He smiles and waves one of his hands. "After the events of last year, we have tried fixing this lab. We're working on getting rid of everything this place stood for." He reassures us.

I nod as I look around. All of the doors are closed and most likely locked. _So many kids, so little life._ I rub my arms and shake my head, trying to get rid of my jitters.

We turn one more corner before walking up to the only door in the hall way. It's at the very end of the hall, and it's open wide open. I stop right in front of the door while the others go in, and I feel my hands go numb.

My legs start shaking and I feel my hands heat up against my arms from where I was holding myself. _No no no no, I told myself I would never go back! Please, I don't wanna be in the dark again!_

"Sarah. You coming in?" Johnathan calls. I gulp and nod my head. I force myself to move forward, regretting every step. I walk into the room slowly and stay by the wall.

As Will sits on the bed in the center, I start to look around. I look up at the ceiling, breath catching in my throat.

In the corners and along the upper walls, I can see hundreds of burn marks. On certains ceiling tiles, I can see obvious water damage.

_Flashback~_

_"No!" I scream as the bad people throw me into my room. I fall onto my back, coughing violently. "Please!" I plead. I quickly get up and run to the door, but the shut it before I can reach them._

_I hear them lock the door, with a defening click. I bang on the door, my body heating up. I start to cry. All I can see are my hands, which are glowing with bright flames._

_I scream and cry as I throw fire at the walls and ceiling, trying to make Father notice. No one comes for me._

_After moments of throwing fire at the room, the flames start to die. "No no no!" I cry as the room gets darker. I fall down and hold my hands out. "Please! Scared!" I scream._

_Finally, the flames die, not even leaving a single spark. I bring my hands up to my face and cover my mouth. My breathing is all hiccupy, and it won't stop. Stop Three! Father will be angry! Be in dark room longer._

_I try to make the hiccupy breaths go away, but they become worse. I close my eyes and try to make the darkness go away, but like every other time, it doesn't work._

_End of Flashback~_

I feel my eyes start to water as my whole body shakes. It feels like my head is splitting in two. I turn to the wall next to me and jump back. There's a burn mark in the shape of a small body.

"Sorry about the condition of the room, we honestly don't know what went on in here." Owens apologizes.

"Sarah?" Hopper calls. I turn around to face him, not even bothering to put up a front. "Sweetie, your nose is bleeding. Are you okay?" Mom asks, walking up to me.

I bring my hand up and touch my upper lip. I pull my hand back to see bright red blood. I gulp nervously, but suddenly my surroundings disappear.

I'm back in a dark room. I can't hear anything except for screaming. It sounds like a woman, and it sounds like she's in pain. I cower and step back, hitting a wall.

"Sarah..." A voice calls. I shake my head and try to stay standing, but my legs are about to give out. "Sarah!" The voice yells.

A hand suddenly comes out from the darkness and grabs my shoulder. I jump and look down at the arm. The room comes back slowly, revealing the owner of the arm.

I look up to see Hopper's concerned face. I see everyone else staring at me. "I-I'm fine." I choke out.

Hopper and Mom share a look before nodding. Hopper's grip on my shoulder tightens as he moves me to the door. "We'll be right back Dr.Owens." He says as he pushes me out of the room.

I try to fight him, but I can't help but feel better once I'm out of the cursed room. But he doesn't just stop with taking me out of the room. He directs me to elevator and out of the lab.

He finally stops pushing me once we reach the cars. I put my hand out and swat away his hands. "Hop, what was that for?" I ask.

"Are you serious? You looked like you were gonna pass out in there. What was that about?" He asks, putting his hands on his hips.

I sigh and sit down on the pavement. I put my face in my hands and just shake my head. "It's not important. Let's just go back in, I've gotten my breather." I say, but I don't bother getting up.

"No, we need to talk about what happened in there. It's obvious something about that room is making you act that way." He says.

I look up at him and wipe the blood from my nose. _Might as well tell someone about this shit_. I sigh and pat the spot next to me. He raises an eyebrow and looks at me weirdly. "Do you want me to talk or not? Sit." I say, pointing at the ground again.

He huffs, but obliges. He sits down and places his arms on his kness. I sigh and look ahead, not wanting to see the pity on his face after I tell him.

"That was my room."

"What?"

"The room they're doing Will's check up, that was my old room. They would lock me in there if I did something they didn't like. Those scortch marks, I made those in the many meltdowns I had. "

I hold myself closer, feeling tears begin to form in my eyes. "It was always so dark. No matter how loudly I screamed, they never let me out. I just....I can't be in that room. I just can't do it." I choke out, feeling the tears fall down my face.

I wipe them away before looking over at Hopper. His face glows with pity. He puts his hand on my shoulder and pats it a little. "I'm sorry kid."

I give him a small smile and nod. "It's all good. You didn't know, no one did." I sigh and push myself up. I dust off my pants and step away from the car. I glare at the lab, but at least I'm not shaking anymore.

"C'mon, they're probably waiting for us." I say, looking back. Hopper quickly gets up and starts shaking his head. "No. No way I'm letting you back in there. You'll just wait out here until they're done."

"What?! But I have to be in there. I can't just wait out here!"

"But you said it yourself, you can't be in that room."

"I-I never said I would stay in the room. And if I have to, I will. For Will." I say, trying to prove my point, despite my shaking hands.

Hopper sighs as he rubs his temples. "Kid, I'm ordering you to stay out here. You want to help Will, stay out here and ask him how it goes once it's done. You're of no help to him, or anybody, if you're moments away from a break down every time you're in that room."

I look down, defeated. _He's right though. I can't really do anything for Will if I'm panicing in there._ I nod my head and cross my arms. "Fine. I'll stay out here, but just this once."

"No can do. You are not allowed in that lab, let alone that room, for as long as Will needs treatment." He orders.

"What?!? You can't do that! You're not my father."

"No, but I am your boss. And I will speak to Joyce about this too." He says walking away. I run up to him and pull on his arm, making him turn around.

"But you can't! I have to stay with Will, no matter what!"

"He'll be fine with your mom and Johnathan."

"But-but..."

"But what?" He pushes. I let go of his arm and take a step back.

"I don't want anything to happen to him. It's my fault this happened in the first place! If I had just stayed with him, he wouldn't have been taken. What else could happen if I'm not with him?" I blow up.

I feel more tears fall down my face, but I don't bother wiping them. Suddenly, I feel Hopper hug me. He places a hand on my head and pats my hair. "He'll be safe, trust me. Not only will your family be with him, but if it makes you feel better, I'll watch Owens. I'll keep stuff like that from happening. And it wasn't your fault kid, you had no way of knowing that was going to happen." He reassures me.

I nod and wipe my face again, rubbing my eyes a little raw. He lets go of me and takes a step back. "Fine. I'll take a step back from this. But if anything ever happens, please call me on my radio. I still want to help." I ask in a small voice.

He nods his head. "Sure." He turns around and starts to walk back to the lab, saying a quick goodbye. I wave goodbye to him and lean against my car.

I sigh as I pull out a pack of cigarettes. I take one out and light it with my thumb. I take in a long drag and let it out slowly. _I guess Hopper's right. I just hope to God nothing happens while I'm not with them._


	21. She's Alive!

**Sarah's POV**

I pull my hair out of my pony tail as I walk into the break room. I plop down on one of the small chairs as I pull at my arcade uniform sleeves. _I swear, if I have to listen to another middle schooler try to flirt with me and try to use their Galaga score to impress me, I'm going to burn something._

I rub my eyes slowly. "Smmrmm." A muffled voice comes from my backpack. I put my hands on the table and raise an eyebrow. _But the kids are doing another dnd campaign. None of them should be calling me for hours. Who's calling me?_ I reach over to my bag and unzip the main pocket.

I pull out my radio, hearing someone calling my name. "Sarah, come in." It's Hopper. _What does he need?_

"What's going on Hop?"

"You need to get over here immeadiately."

I stand up but I cross my arms slightly. "Why, what's going on?"

"I can't tell you until you get over here."

I roll my eyes and groan. "Chief, I'm at work right now, I can't just leave. And you haven't even told me where I need to go." I hear him sigh on the other end.

"It's about what happened last year. And meet me at the old cabin."

I grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder. "That creepy cabin in the woods? Are you planning on murdering me or something?" I ask.

"No, just get over here."

"Alright, I'll be there in five minutes maybe?" I hear him grunt in confirmation before ending the com. I pull the radio away and stare at it. _I need to remember that he an call me on this thing. He's acting kinda weird though, I wonder what he needs._

I put the radio bak into my bg and zip it up. I walk out of the break room and try to walk out the door, but my coworker Keith stops me.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asks, shoveling Cheetos into his mouth. I grimace at the sound of his chewing. "I'm going on my lunch." I reply curtly.

"Your lunch was five minutes ago."

I roll my eyes and glare at him. "Yeah, well I was a little preoccupied with working to go take my lunch. I'll still come back in time, don't worry." He grumbles something under his breath, but he leaves me alone. _Weirdo._

I walk out of the arcade and over to my car. I open the door and throw my bag into the passenger seat. I start the car and pull out of the parking lot. I drive away from the arcade, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel. It still has little indentions from when I burned it a little last year.

I turn on the radio, wanting some kind of background noise. Twised Sister's _'We're Not Gonna Take It'_ plays through the speakers.

I nod along to the song, liking the band. I slow down as I drive near the edge of the woods. I turn on a dirt road, slowly following the path. Quickly though, the path ends, stopping in front of thousands more trees. _Guess I'll have to walk from here._

I sigh and turn off the car, leting Twisted Sister die out. I climb out of the car and lock it. I leave my bag in there as I shove my keys into my jean pockets.

I walk throught the woods, being mindful of all the roots peeking out of the ground. After a while of walking through the trees, only tripping on a few roots, I finally see the cabin.

Hopper's truck is next to it. _What? Is there a path I missed?_ I groan and rub my face, accidently getting some dirt on my face. I walk up to the cabin, but stop between two trees. There's a wire between them. _Did Hopper do this?_

I step under the wire and walk up to the cabin door. I knock three times and call out for Hopper. "Hey Chief! What did you need me for?" I ask.

The door swings open suddenly, revealing a disheveled Hopper. He gesture me to come in, looking around behind me. I walk into the messy cabin, crossing my arms. "Hopper, what's going on? And what are you looking for?"

"Were you followed?"

"What?" I ask, taking a double take.

"Were you followed?" He repeats, closing and locking the door. "No." I say. He nods and walks around the cabin. "Kid, I need to show you something." He says, walking over to one of the doors near the back.

I follow him and gesture for him to continue. He opens the door, revealing an empty room. I look up to him and shrug. "It's a room. What about it?" I ask. _I should really be at work right now._

"C'mon out Kid." He says, walking into the room. _Who is he talking to?_ I uncross my arms as I see someone step out from behind the door. My eyes water as they reveal themself.

It's Eleven. She's looks just like how she did last year, but now she has some hair. "E-El. You're....you're alive." I stammer out, reaching out for her.

She gives me small smile as she holds onto my hand. Tears fall down my cheeks as a smile grows on my face. I pull her close to me and pull her into a tight hug.

She holds onto me tightly, and return the feeling. _She's alive! Holy crap, she's alive!_ I crouch down to make the hug easier. She loosens her grip on me, making me let go, as she backs up.

She has the hugest smile on her face. I hold her face and laugh through my tears. "I can't believe this. What...how....?" I stutters, looking up at Hoppers. He shrugs, but he has a small smile on his face. "I found her in the woods. I don't know what happened." He says.

I smile wider and shake my head, looking back at Eleven. "You know what, I don't even care. I'm just so glad you're back." I say. I lean up and kiss her forehead, making her smile.

"Why are you crying?" Eleven asks. I laugh and wipe away my tears. "Oh El, they're happy tears. I'm just so happy." I explain to her, not letting go of her. She nods and smiles again.

"We...we have to tell everyone! They'll be exstatic!" I cheer, looking up at Hopper again. This time, he's not smiling. He shakes his head and crosses his arms. "We can't. There could still be people out there who want to take her away." He explains.

I take my hands off El's face and stand up. "What do you mean? Those people from the lab are gone, right?" I ask.

"Hopefully, but we don't know for sure. And anybody could try to take her if they find out about her powers."

"But I have powers and I'm safe."

"One, you're 18, not 12. And two, you've been out of the lab since you were six. People will be suspicious."

I cross my arms and glare at him. "But shouldn't the kids know at the very least. They won't tell anyone." He sighs and rubs his eyes. "We have no way of knowing that. We have no way of knowing if anyone can keep this a secret."

"Then why tell me if you can't trust anyone?"

"Because this pertains to you. And I'm pretty sure you can keep a secret since you kept your powers a secret for years." He replies curtly.

I look down and sigh, defeated. _I want to tell them, but maybe he's right. But I won't be able to keep this secret for very long._ I nod and try not to look at Eleven.

"Fine, I won't tell anyone. But we have to tell them when it's safe." I say, pointing at him. He nods. "Sure. But once I deem it safe kid."

I sigh and look down at Eleven. "Alright El, now that I know you're alive, I'll be here whenever you need me. I promise." I tell her, sticking out my pinkie. _I know, pinkie swears are childish, but so am I._

She tilts her head, looking confusedly at my hand. I laugh lightly and take her hand. "It's a pinkie promise. We hook pinkies, and that means that I can't break this promise." I explain.

She stickes her pinkie out and connects ours together. She smiles at the little exchange. We let go and I tug on my shirt. I sigh and run my hand through my hair. "Well, I better be off. I need to get back to work. If you guys need anything, you know which channel to call." I say, hugging Eleven one last time.

I reluctantly let go of her and walk over to the door. I point at Hopper. "I mean it." He smiles and nods, waving me off. "Alright Sarah. I'll make sure to do that, but you should really be getting back to work."

I nod and walk out of the cabin. I rub my arms, feeling the breeze bring goosebumps on my arms. I walk back into the woods and back to my car. _Now Eleven's back. The only thing better than this would be everyone knowing. I just hope that Hopper will deem it safe for her to be out soon. I know it'll really make everyone happier, especially Mike._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be the start of season 2. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and tell me what you think in the comments! Stay Curious!~ Lunar


	22. Mad Max

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone beat the Dig Dug high score. Wonder who that could be?

**Sarah's POV**

"Will! C'mon, I need to get to work!" I yell down the hall as I pull my hair into a pony tail. I straighten my t-shirt as I spin my keys around my finger. "In a minute! I'm looking for quarters." He yells back at me.

I sigh and rub my temples. "I have extra quarters, you can use them. Just hurry up!" I yell again. I hear Mom and Bob laugh from the kitchen. I playfully glare at them as I lean against the wall next to them.

"Sarah, are you sure you don't mind taking him to the arcade?" Mom asks, sipping her cup of water. I smile and wave her off, shaking my head. "It's fine Mom. And I have to be there too, so it'll just make things easier."

She nods and places her cup down. Bob smiles at me and reaches over. He hands me a couple of quarters. "Here, so you don't go and give Will all of your coins." He says. I try to reject the coins, but he doesn't take them back.

"I insist. And she who holds it, owns it." He says, making me laugh. "Fine, but I hope you know you won't be getting these back." I joke as I pocket the coins.

He laughs as he puts his hands in the air and nods. I hear rushed footstpes coming from the hall. I look up to see Will running into the room.

I see him shoving his hands into his pockets. "C'mon Will, let's go." I say, holding my keys loosely in my hand. He nods and runs up to the door. We yell bye to Mom and Bob and run up to the car.

I unlock the car and slide across the hood over to the driver's side. I climb in and start the car. Will buckles up as I pull out of the dirt drive way.

"Did you really have to slide across the hood?" Will asks, laughing. I laugh too and ruffle up his hair. "Of course, Will. Only cool kids do that." He laughs at me and shakes his head.

I reach over and turn on the radio, hearing Madonna play again. I nod my head along to the song _'Material Girl'_ and tap on the wheel. "How many quarters you got?" I ask him.

Will reaches into his pockets and pulls out a few. "Maybe five." He sighs. I point at the glove compartment as I turn down the road. "There's a boatload in there. And I got a couple from Bob if you need 'em." I tell him.

He quickly opens the glove compartment, looking around in it. "They're in that purple pouch." I tell him.

He pulls out the little drawstring bag and digs into it. He pulls out a few quarters and puts the bag back. I shake my head and take the bag. "You can have them Will, I don't have too much use for them. When you run out of coins, just come to me to get more." I tell him, placing the pouch in my pocket.

He nods his head and pockets the coins he took. I pull up to the arcade and pull into the parking lot. I see three kids bring their bikes to the bike racks. _There's the rest of the Party._

I honk my horn twice, gaining their attention. They run up to the car after I park, smiling wide. I roll down my window and lean out. "Hey guys."

"Sarah!" They cheer while Will and I climb out. I lock up the car and put my keys in my pockets. I gesture to the arcade and they all run in. I laugh and shake my head as I follow them.

I walk up to the ounter and hop over it. I hear Keith scoff, but I ignore him, 'cause well, it's Keith. I lean over the counter and watch all the kids play every game they can get their hands on.

 _Hmmm, wonder if I can play some of these later. I could beat my score in Galaga again._ I wath the boys run over to one of the newer games, Dragon's Lair. They crowd around it, taking turns trying to save Princess Daphne.

I hear them yell about them dying several times. "Hey, um, hi." I hear a small voice say. I look down to see a kid, maybe in 8th grade by the looks of it, look at me shyly.

"Yeah? What can I help you with?" I ask, giving him a kind smile. He blushes at me and starts to fumble over his words. Two of his friends come up behind him, one smirking while the other looks miserable.

"Spit it out, dude!" The one smirking snaps, smaking his friend's back. The stuttering one straightens up and goes stark still. "Um, w-we need m-more coins. Can you cash th-this out?" He asks, handing me a dollar.

I smile at his stammering and nod, taking the dollar. "Sure, kid." I slip the dollar into my jacket pocket and take out the drawstring pouch. I take out four quarters and hand them to him.

He blushes bright red and rushes out a small thank you. I nod and they walk away. I can hear his friends teasing him as they walk to the machines in the back. _Cute, at least he wasn't flirting._

"Sarah! Some kid spilt cheetos over here! Get the broom!" I hear Keith yell. I groan and garb the broom behind me and walk over to him. _Knowing Keith, he was the one who spilt the cheetos..._

I walk up to him and he points at the ground next to him. _Lazy ass._ I sigh and taake the dust pan off of the broom and place it on the floor. "Whatever, I'm still tops on Centipede and Dig Dug." Dustin groans, lightly slapping the arcade machine.

"You sure about that?" Keith teases, shoving another cheetos into his mouth.

"Sure about what?" Dustin runs over to the rows of machines with Dig Dug and Centipede and I sweep up the last of the cheetos. I follow them, keeping the dust pan above all the kids' heads. "No no no no no!" Dustin yells, shaking the Dig Dug machine.

"751,300 points!" Will exclaims. I look at the machine and gasp at the high score. _Impressive. Mad Max strikes again. Kid still can't beat my Galaga score though._ I pat Dustin's shoulder, trying to make him feel better.

"Who's Mad Max?!?" Dustin demands, glaring at Keith.

"Better than you." Keith teases.

"Is it you?"Mike asks. Keith scoffs, making bits of cheetos fly out of his mouth. I cringe and take a step back. "You know I despise Dig Dug."

"Sarah?"

"Nope, my game is Galaga." I tell them, shaking my head. I cross my arms, momentarily forgetting about the dust pan in my hand, and drop all the cheetos onto the floor. "Great." I groan.

"Then who is it? Spill it, Keith." Dustin yells.

_Maybe I should tell them that's it's this red head kid. Ooooor I could be mean and let them find out on their own. Yeah, I'll let them find out on their own. I'm stilled pissed that they stole some of my DnD stuff. Am I petty? Yes, yes I am._

"You want information, then I need something in return." Dustin, Lucas, and Will look over at Mike, making him shake his head violently.

"No! No way. You're not getting a date with her."

"Mike, come on. Just get him the date." Lucas insists. I scrunch my nose. _Ew, don't do it Mike._

"I'm not prostituting my sister!" Mike yells, gesturing at Keith, who's just crunching away at his cheetos.

"No, don't get him the date. He's just gonna spread his nasty ass rash to your whole family." Dustin insults Keith.

Keith puts down his bag of chips, looking insulted. "Acne isn't a rash and it isn't contagious, you prepubescent wastoid." Keith defends.

I sigh and shake my head. Suddenly, a chill goes up my spine. I feel sick to my stomach and I start to sweat. _What the hell? What's going on?_ I swallow thickly and wipe my forehead.

No one seems to notice. I look at the boys, noticing that one's missing. _Crap, where'd Will go?_ I look around and see him leaving through the front door. I raise an eyebrow and walk over to him. Seems like Mike had the same idea as me. He looks at me with a questioning stare, to which I shrug.

We walk out of the arcade to see Will staring at the sign. _Weird. Why do I have a bad feeling?_ Mike reaches over and shakes his shoulder, making Will flinch.

He quickly turns around, fear in his eyes. "Will, are you okay?" I ask, placing my hand on his shoulder. He nods and looks around warily. "Yeah, um, I just needed some air." He says, staring at the sign again.

Mike nods and smiles, putting his arm around Will's shoulders. I take a step back and ross my arms. "Come on. You're up on Dig Dug. Let's take that top sore back, huh?" Mike suggests, dragging Will back inside.

Will just nods and lets him. I watch them go back in, but the sick feeling in my stomach doesn't go away. I look up at the sign and squint my eyes. _What could Will have seen? What does this mean?_


	23. New Kid In Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah meets Billy. What will she think of him?

**Sarah's POV**

I climb out of my car and swing the door closed. I straighten my backpack on my shoulder and walk across the parking lot to the school. I jump back quickly, avoiding getting hit by a car.

"Jack ass!" I yell, flipping the driver off. The car has a nice look, but I probably can't say the same for the driver. I walk over to them, wanting to confront whoever it was.

I cross my arms and wait for them to get out. The passenger side door opens. A girl, probably the boys' age, climbs out. She has firey red hair and a scowl on her face. I recognize her from the arcade. _Mad Max._

She stomps across the street in the direction of the middle school. The driver side door opens. I walk over to that side and stand in front of the car. A guy, maybe my age, steps out.

He has shoulder length blonde hair and a growing mustache. He's wearing a tight fitting t-shirt and skinny jeans. He finally notices me and smirks. "Hey there, Doll." He greets. He looks me up and down, smirking.

I cringe and groan. "Don't call me that. And watch where you're going Jack ass, you almost ran me over." He looks a little shocked, before he recovers and laughs at me.

"I'll keep that in mind, Sweetheart. Name's Billy by the way, Billy Hargrove." I groan again and roll my eyes. I rub my eyes and shake my head. "Wanna tell me you're name, or do I get to keep calling you Sweetheart?" He flirts.

I put my hand out, stopping him from talking further. "No, none of that. I'm Sarah Byers, and we're done here. All I came over here to do was to tell you to pay attention, and I did just that. Goodbye Hargrove." I say. I walk away, hearing him call out one more time.

"See you again, Byers." I groan as I walk into the school. _Great, now I'm gonna have to deal with this douche all year long._ I stomp over to my locker and pull the lock off. I shove my bag inside and grab my chem book.

I slam my locker shut and lean against it. I close my eyes and sigh. I hear the locker next to me squeak. "Sarah?" I hear Steve ask. I open one eye, meeting his confused stare. I hum in acknowledgment.

"What happened out there? Who was that anyway?"

"You saw that?" I ask, blushing in embarressment. He nods, smiling at my embarressment. I run my hand through my hair. "Just the new kid. He almost ran me over."

"Douche. You okay?"

"Yeah, couldn't agree more. And I'm fine." I reassure him. I pat his arm as I make my way down the hall. I hear him jog after me. He starts to pull something from his bag, making me stop. He pulls out some papers. "Do you mind looking over this?"

I raise an eyebrow as I take the papers. "Why? I'm not your tutor." I tease, but I still look over the papers all the same. As I skim through, I see random marks on it. "What are these?"

"Nancy looked at them earlier and made some suggestions." I nod and finish reading them. I hand them back to him and go back to walking. "Well, she made some pretty good suggestions. But besides that, it's pretty good."

He scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Right. I should just redo the entire thing." I shake my head and smack his arm. "No, like I said, it's pretty good. You just need a little tweaking." I reassure him. He nods reluctantly.

"Hey Sarah!" I hear someone call. I look up to see Tina. She's holding a bunch of orange flyers. I look at the flyers warrily, remembering last year.

I fake a smile and wave. She runs up to me and hands me a flyer. "You should totally come!" She says before walking off. I look down at the flyer. It has a picture of a ghost next to a bottle.

"Tina's Halloween Bash. Come get sheet faced?" I read, laughing at the horrible pun. I fold up the flyer and put it into my pocket.

"You going?" Steve asks, standing outside of the chemistry classroom. I laugh again and shake my head. "Nope, I'm busy on Halloween. And parties aren't really my thing."

"Why not make it your thing? It could be fun."

I scoff and walk into the class, taking my seat. Steve takes his right next to me, still asking me about it. "C'mon! It'd be a nice change from what's going on." He persuades.

I groan and pull on my hair. I look at his eyes and my resolve breaks. "I'll think about it."

"That's not a no."

"It's not a yes, either." I point out. He nods and puts his hands up as the class starts. Mr.Barnes drones on about some kind of elements. I zone in and out as I stare at the clock, waiting for the class to finish already.

After a few minutes of just staring at the clock, 14 to be exact, the door slams open. The entire class, including Mr.Barnes, look over to see who it is.

I groan as I see who it is. _Dammit! Now Hargrove is in my first period? Can this day get any worse?_ He saunters in, making all the girls swoon. Mr.Barnes looks taken back, but composes himself. He clears his throat and gestures to him.

"Right. Class, this is your new classmate. This is Billy Hargrove, who just moved from California." Billy just rolls his eyes and stuffs his hands into his pockets, as if he had nothing better to do. Mr.Barnes gestures to the empty seat across from me. _I spoke too soon._

Billy smirks at me as he takes his seat. He props his feet onto his desk. Mr.Barnes sighs and looks around. His eyes land on me. He raises his hand to the air. "Ms.Byers, you will be his tutor since he enrolled late."

My jaw drops. I hear multiple girls grumble and whisper in disdain. Billy's smirk grows wider. I look over at Steve, who looks just as shocked as I do. _I'm gonna die!!!_

**Time Skip**

I lead Billy into the library and sit down at one of the tables closest to the door. Not only was he in my chem class, he was also in my math and english classes. And all three teachers asked me to tutor him as well. _Just my fucking luck_. I place all my books onto the table and sit down. Billy turns the chair around and straddles it. _Whatever. Let's just get this over with._ I open up my chem book and open it up to the topic we were discussing today.

He ignores the book and opts for staring at me. "What?" I ask, leaning away.

"Nothing, just admiring the view." He flirts. His gross smirk is back. I cringe and try to ignore him. I take out a spare notebook and hand it to him, with a pencil. "Here. Right down the notes." He laughs and plays with the pencil.

"Never thought I would like it when a girl tells me what to do. Can say though, it's pretty hot." I suppress a gag as I glare at him. This goes on for some time. He would flirt with me, and I would ignore him. Sometimes though, he would look over my shoulder at something and smirk.

After a little more flirting coming from him, I finally snap. I slam my pencil on the table and cross my arms. "Alright, what's going on Hargrove? What's with the flirting?"

He chuckles again and wipes his mouth. "Let's just say, I'm trying to set something in motion." He says, looking over my shoulder again. I look behind me, trying to find what he's looking at. In the little window in the library door, I can see Steve's face.

Once he notices me looking, he ducks down. _Why's he watching? Probably doesn't trust Hargrove, but I can take care of myself._ I look back at Billy and raise and eyebrow.

"Set something in motion? What are you talking about?" I ask. He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, leaning back. He sighs and looks at me like I'm stupid. "That Harrington guy. He seems to like you. Noticed in the classes we have together. That, and the way he's watching me like I'll murder you."

"How do I know you won't?" He laughs and takes out a toothpick. He starts to chew on it. "Trust me, I wouldn't go that far." I nod skeptically.

"But, I also see the way you stare at him. You're not that slick." I blush and start to stammer. He points at me and smirks again. "See?" I look down and mess with my hair.

I pick up my pencil and mess with the eraser. "Alright, I may not be the smoothest person, but why do this? And how exactly were you planning on doing that?"

"I was planning on making him jealous, pushing him to say something, and it seems pretty easy to do that."

"Yeah, he is kinda protective of me, but that's what friends do." I ramble, but he doesn't let me go on. "Anyway, I don't want much in return. Just keep going on as if I said nothing. And don't yell at me when I flirt with you, I need to gain a reputation."

I look at him and raise an eyebrow. I cross my arms again and lean back, moving my head to the side. "That can't be the whole reason." He sighs and his tough guy facade drops slightly. It's still there mostly, but some of the cockiness is gone. _Good riddance_

"Alright, you caught me. You remind me of the girls back in California. Someone who doesn't take shit from anyone and speaks their mind. But I still stand by what I want in return." He says, pointing at me.

I laugh lightly and rub my eye. _This can't be real._ I look him in the eye, and I don't see anything that would reveal that he's lying. _He's either really good at lying, or he's genuine._

I look at him for a few more seconds before sighing and sticking my hand out. "Alright, I'll do what you ask, as long as you don't try anything that'll prompt me to slap you." He smirks, but this time I don't grimace.

He grabs my hand and shakes it. "You know, this is really lame." He says, gesturing to our hands. I laugh and roll my eyes.

"And yet, you still did it." He laughs too and we stand up. I put all my books in my bag and zip it up. I walk over to the doors before turning back and waving at him. "See you around, Hargrove." He waves back and I leave. I turn the corner, walking over to the exit of the school, when I bump into Steve.

I look up at him and smile. A small blush blooms on my face when I think about what Billy and I talked about. "Hey Steve, school's over, shouldn't you be home?" I ask.

He clears his throat and leans against one of the many lockers. "I just, um, wanted to make sure Hargrove didn't try anything." He stammers.

My smile grows. I punch his shoulder lightly and lean against the locker next to him. "Aw, you care about me." I tease.

"We've been best friends since kindergarten, of course I would care about you."

I rub his shoulder and give him a reassuring smile. "Well, glad to hear that. And you don't need to worry about me. I'm a big girl, I can tie my own shoes." I joke. I step away from the lockers and look back at the exit.

"And don't worry about Hargrove. All he did was flirt with me, and I handled it. Now I just need to do is get used to tuning him out when I tutor him." I lie. Well, not fully.

Steve nods, seeming satisfied. I look down at my watch and my eyes widen. "Shit! I need to get to work. See you around Steve!"I say before jogging out the exit.

_Maybe tutoring Billy won't be too bad. And maybe he's right about Steve liking me, but he's in a relationship with my friend. A girl could dream though._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now Sarah and Billy are civil! They're not exactly friends, but who knows, maybe they will be. Also, it made sense that Billy and Sarah would be friends while Sarah and Johnathan had conflicts. Please comment about what you thought of this chapter and if you have any requests for new stories, and please put kudos if you want to. Stay curious~Lunar


	24. Zombie Boy

**Sarah's POV**

"Hey Will? We got some movies, you wanna pick?" I ask as I knock on his door. Johnathan's behind me with the movies in hand. "Whatever you want." Will calls. Johnatan and I look at each other uneasily. _That's weird, Will always jumps on the chance to pick out the movies. Maybe he's thinking about something._

I grab onto the doorknob, mouthing a quick _'I got this'_ to Johnathan, and walk into Will's room. I close the door behind me and sit on the edge of the bed. Will seems preoccupied with a drawing. "Whatcha' working on?"

He doesn't respond, just keeps on drawing. I lean over to look at the drawing. It's a picture of a rotting boy in the woods. "Zombie boy? Who's that?" I ask after reading the title of the drawing.

"Me." He whispers. He stops drawing and just looks down. "Did someone call you that?" I ask, crossing my legs criss cross style. He nods. _Stupid asswipes. If only they knew what he went through, they would be cowering._

I cross my arms and lean forward. "Then fuck 'em." He looks up at me, confused.

"What?"

"You heard me. If they call you that, then fuck them. Don't listen to what they say. They're just small minded people." I reassure him. I put my hands in my lap and bounce lightly. "And think about it this way. 'Zombie Boy' isn't an insult, it's a superhero name."

Will rolls his eyes. "But that makes me sound like a freak."

"So? Do you wanna be normal? Do you wanna be like everyone else? Being a freak is the best, c'mon I'm a freak. Nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world."

Will smiles a teeny tiny smile, but it's a smile all the same. I lightly punch his arm, making him laugh. He rubs his shoulder jokingly as his laughter dies down a little.

He looks up at me in earnest. "Everyone treats me like glass. Why don't you?" I raise an eyebrow and lean back. I cross my arms. "Of course I would never treat you like glass. Why should I?"

"Because of what happened."

I scoff and roll my eyes. "After what happened, I should be praising you constantly. Will, what you went through, no one could have survived that. But you did, and for a week for crying out loud! Not even I could do that. You're just as brave as I am, probably even braver."

"But I don't have powers. I'm just me." I put my hand on his shoulder and shake my head. "But that's what makes you brave. Powers can be cool and all, but there are many cowards who have powers. It's your heart that makes you brave."

Will nods and gives me another smile. He laughs a little and moves his head to the side. "Powers would be cool though."

I hum and nod in agreement. "I guess they kind of are. But you have your own, pretty much. Zombie Boy, the hero with the power to come back from the dead! That's alot cooler than any other power. Like, imagine fighting against someone with that power."

"You'd never win. He would just keep coming back." Will says, eyes shining. _There's the Will I know and love_. I clap my hand on his shoulder and climb off the bed. I walk over to the door and open it. I look back at Will.

"C'mon, let's get out there and watch some movies with our freak family." He smiles and follows me to the living room. We walk in to see Bob setting up 'Mr.Mom' Will rolls his eyes as he makes his way to the couch.

I chuckle under my breath and sit on the floor with my back to the couch. Bob starts the movie and we all settle in.

Mom hands me the bowl of popcorn and I greedily take a handful. I pick pieces from my handful as Bob and Mom laugh loudly at the movie.

I begin to start to fall asleep, but the sound of the phone ringing wakes me up. I sigh and stand up, walking over to the phone,but Bob stops me. "Let it ring, Sarah. It's probably a prank caller." I nod, too tired to argue and walk over to the couch.

I tap Mom's shoulder, gaining her attention. "I'm gonna turn in early. G'night." I yawn. She bids me goodnight as I drag my feet towards my room. _With all the secrecy and worrying over Will, it's really draining. Maybe a good night's sleep will help me._

I quietly open my door and walk over to my bed, locking it behind me. I change from my normal clothes to my pajamas and climb into bed, quickly falling asleep.

_Dream~_

_I'm standing in a dark room, the sound of dripping water coming from everywhere. Where am I? What is this place? I start to walk around, but nothing changes._

_"Run..." A feminine voice whispers in my ear. I quickly turn around and stumble back. The voice made goosebumps rise on my neck._

_I light my hands on fire, just to protect myself incase anything happens. "Please....you can't stay...." The voice says again. I turn around in a circle, looking for the owner of the voice._

_There's still no one here. "Why do I need to run?" I ask._

_"It knows...."_

_"It? It who?"_

_"The monster...." A woman appears in front of me. She has long, raggedy brown hair. It goes all the way down to her waist. Her skin is pale. Her hands are pale as bone, and there are blisters all over her fingers._

_Her eyes are what set me off. They're lifeless. There's no spark in them, they're just dull. It's like she's a ghost. "What monster? Who are you?" I ask, making my hands burn brighter._

_She goes to respond, but the sound of growling interrupts her. It shakes the void we're in, making me fall. My fire goes out. The woman looks terrified._

_She looks around us, before locking eyes with something behind me. "Run!" She screams. The monster roars. I cover my ears and fall onto my back. I don't see anything, only darkness._

_I look back at the woman, but she's no where in sight. My eyes water as the roaring gets louder and louder._

_End of Dream~_

I gasp as I shoot up. I look around me, and find that I'm no longer in hat dark place. I'm still in my bedroom. I place my hand on my chest, to calm my breathing, and notice that my hand is bright pink.

I look down at my sheets and notice the burnt bits of blanket. _Great, now I need to get a new blanket. But what was that? Who was that woman, and what monster was she warning me about?_

I shake my head and lean against the wall, wiping away the sweat on my neck. It feels like a million degrees, but I somehow still have goosebumps from that nightmare. _I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep after that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Who do you think that woman was? Comment what you think! Stay Curious!~Lunar


	25. Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How does Sarah decide to spend her Halloween?

**Sarah's POV**

I pull my purple sweater over my head as I get ready for the day. I pull my hair into a pony tail as I look at myself in my mirror. My face is slightly pale, and I have dark circles under my eyes. I sigh and rub my eyes to wake myself up.

 _C'mon Sarah, wake up. Today's Halloween! You get to go trick or treating with Will. Just need to stay awake and ignore that dream._ I pull a few strands of hair out of my pony tail and let them curl near my ears.

I tug on my sweater sleeves and turn away from the mirror. I grab my bag off of my bed and walk over to my door, but the sound of my radio going off stops me.

I groan and reach into my bag and pull out the radio. "Hopper?" I ask, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"Hey kid. I need a favor."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Can you tell the kid that she can't go trick or treating tonight? She won't listen to me."

I roll my eyes. _I wish El could go trick or treating with us. I'm pretty sure it's safe by now, but Hopper knows best, I guess_. "Alright, fine."

I hear him say something, but it's muffled, so I can't decipher it. I hear movement on the other end, before I hear her voice. "Sarah?"

I smile. "Hey El. So I heard you want to go out tonight?"

"Mmhm."

"El, sweetie, you know you can't. Trust me, I wish you could, but it still isn't safe."

"But they won't see me."

"How do you know? Please, promise me you won't go out tonight. If you do, I'll make it up to you by giving you all my candy. Sond like a deal?" I try to compromise. I get a hum in return. My smile falters a little, but I still try to sound cheery.

"Okay, well I'll see you tonight. I'll send a message when I'm on my way. Can you hand me back to Hopper?" I get another hum followed by the sound of movement.

The movement stops, ending with a gruff noise from Hopper. "I convinced her." I sigh. I put my hand on my hip and glae at the radio.

"Thanks kid. Knew she'd listen to you."

"Yeah yeah. Just remember, she's not gonna want to stay in that cabin for very longer. You better find out a way for her to leave and still be safe, before she freaks out." I warn.

"I'm trying, but it's not that easy."

I hum and readjust my bag on my shoulder. "Alright, I gotta head to school. I'll be around the cabin tonight to spend time with El." I get a goodbye before the com goes dead.

I groan and stick the radio back in my bag. _Poor El, being cooped up in that cabin. I wish I could do something about it, but what can I do?_ I push my door open and walk down the hall to the living room.

I walk into the living room to find Mom helping Will put on his Ghost Busters costume. I laugh at his dorky costume. _Can't judge too much, I'm dressing up as Sigourney Weaver later._ He scrunches up his nose at me and makes a silly face.

I stick out my tounge and make one right back at him. He laughs at me as he adjusts his proton blaster. Mom moves back as Johnathan comes up to us with his camera.

Will smiles brightly, pointing his proton blaster at the camera, as Johnathan takes a few pictures. Will poses for more pictures making my heart swell.

Finally, Johnathan is satisfied with his pictures. I grab my car keys off the key rack and knock on the wall gaining their attention. "C'mon Will, we gotta get going. Johnathan, do you need a ride to school?" I ask, waiting for Will to hurry up.

Johnathan shakes his head as he looks through his pictures. "Okay, I'll see you at school than. Bye Mom!" I say as I walk out the door. I unlock my car and wait for a Will to get in.

Will climbs in, with a little difficulty because of the costume, and buckles up. I start the car and drive out of the drive way and onto the road.

"You excited to go trick or treating?" I ask. Will smiles brightly. He nods quickly. "Are you still coming with us?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

"Don't you want to hang out with your friends at the party?"

I veer my eyes away from the road for a quick second, glancing at him. "How'd you know about the party?

He shrugs. "I saw the flyer in your bag yesterday. You should go."

I laugh at him. "You trying to get rid of me?"

"No, but you have been spending all your time with me. Aren't you bored?" I give him a gentle look. I reach over and rub his shoulder reassuringly. "Why would I be bored? I get to hang out with the best little brother ever. Besides I like hanging out with you. And we've always gone trick or treating together."

"Johnathan could go with me. Don't you miss hanging out with your friends?"

I think it over. _Will makes a good point. I really haven't been spending much time with Steve and Nancy, but I want to spend time with Will. I need to make up for loss time._ I hum as I pull up to the middle school.

I park the car and turn to face him. "I'll tell you what. I'll think it over, but the descision is yours. If you want me to go with you guys, I'll go. But if you really wanna get rid of me, then I'll leave you guys be. Okay?" I ask.

"Okay." He agrees. I put my hand put an he grabs it. We shake, sealing the deal. I lightly pudh him to the door, smiling at him. "Now go on and meet with the rest of the Ghost Busters, Egon." He laughs and climbs out of the car, saying goodbye before leaving.

I watch him walk up to the bike rack, where the rest of the party is. I take my car out of park and drive out of the middle school parking lot and over to the highschool.

I park in my usual spot and climb out of my car before locking it. I sling my bag over my shoulder and stand up straight as I walk up to the school.

**Time Skip To After School**

"So Will, made your descision yet?" I ask, leaning against the couch. He looks up at me, fiddling with his proton blaster, and nods his head. "Yeah. Is it okay if we go without you this year? Give you a break?"

My smile falters a bit as my heart hurts. _Oh, guess Will is getting too old to hang out with his big sis on Halloween. It's fine, though_. I quickly put on a bigger smile and nod, sitting next to him on the couch.

"Sure, I'll just hang out here. Give away some candy." Will frowns at me.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. You're getting older now, you don't need your lame sister." I joke, lightly hitting his shoulder. He smiles at me and gives me a side hug. I return it tightly. We seperate and I hold both of his shoulders and give him a serious look.

"You know what your mission is though?" I ask, putting on my Druid voice. He looks confused for a second, before smiling widely.

"You mission, if you choose to accept it Will the Wise, is to get as much candy as you can carry, and maybe get your Druid some. So?" He nods and hops off the couch.

He puts his hands on his hips and looks down at me with a bright smile. "I accept, Druid Sarah!" I smile and laugh lighty, making him laugh too. _Nothing like a bit of DnD to lift the mood._

Bob walks in from the hallway, showing Johnathan how to use his camera. Showing which buttons to press to make it record. _Sounds complicated to me._

Mom waves Will over leaving me alone. _Guess I have to give Johnathan my keys. He better not mess with my car!_ I stand up and walk over to Bob and Johnathan.

I pull my keys out of my pocket and swing them around. "Here. Will didn't want me tagging along this time so you have the car." I tell him, handing him the keys.

He gives me a shocked look as he pockets the keys. "You're trusting me with the car?" I roll my eyes and cross my arms. "Of course. Just don't mess with it please." He nods his head and walks up to Mom and Will.

"C'mon bud." He gestures for Will to follow, and follow he does. They leave, saying a quick goodbye. We wave goodbye, and I walk back into the house.

"Sarah? You aren't going with them?" Bob asks, walking up to me. I smile at him and shake my head. I walk over to the candy bowl and take out a small candy bar. "Nah, Will wants to do this one without his sister. I'll just help with the trick or treaters."

Mom and Bob share a look, looking concerned. _Pretty sure I'm intruding on them spending time together, but I don't have anything alse to do tonight._

I take a big bite out of the candy bar. "Why don't you go to that party with your friends?" Mom suggests.

"How'd you know about that?" I ask, finishing the candy bar.

"There was a flyer on the table about a party. I thought it might be from a friend of your's from school." _Is everyone just looking at my stuff now?!_ I toss my wrapper in the trash, making it in.

I look back at them and shrug, crossing my arms. "I dunno. I'd rather just wait for Will to get back." Mom walks up to me and wraps an arm around me.

"Is that really what you want to do, or do you think you have to?" She asks. I look down, not wanting to answer. _She's right. Damn it, she's good!_

"For once, be a teenager, not a babysitter." She says, hugging me lightly. I sigh in defeat and nod my head. She lets go of me, kissing my forehead, before walking back over to Bob.

"Fine. I'll get out of your hair and go to the party. I'll get dressed and go. Love you both." I say as I walk over to my room. I walk in and look down at my costume.

I had laid it in the bed earlier. _Guess this costume didn't go to waste._ I quickly get changed and inspect the outfit in the mirror. I look myself over, blushing at the outfit. I'm dressed up as Gate Keeper Sigourney. It looks good on me.

I smile at myself one last time and walk out of my room. I pocket my cigarettes in my short pockets before leaving. I walk into the living room, not seeing Mom or Bob anywhere. _I don't even wanna know._

I run my hand through my hair and sigh. _I still need a ride. Johnathan has my car. I know exactly who to call._ **(Ghost Busters! Sorry, too easy)**

I walk over to the phone and dial their number. The phone rings for a few seconds, before they finally answer.

"Sarah?"

"Hey Steve, can you come pick me up? I changed my mind, I'm coming to the party."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N  
> Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait! I've been working on some stuff recently, and I've been coming up with more ideas for this story, so be prepared! Hope you liked this chaper. Stay Curious!~Lunar


	26. Lame Halloween Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party Time!

**Sarah's POV**

"Thanks for picking me up guys." I say for the upteenth time. Steve shakes his head as he unbuckles. "It's no problem Sarah."

I nod and smile while I climb out of the car. We close the car's doors and walk up the street. There were cars lined up on the street leading to Tina's house.

After a bit of walking, we see the house. The windows are lit up and music is blaring from inside. I can see people through the windows, there's even a few people in the yard. _That's a lot of people. Maybe it was a bad idea to come._

I look over at Steve and Nancy, dressed up as Joel and Lana from 'Risky Business', and smile a little. _Nah, I think it's good I came. Now I can actually spend time with my friends and not worry for a change._

I run my hand through my hair and mess with my Gate Keeper costume as we walk up to the front doors. They're wide open so we just walk in. As we walk in, I'm bombarded with the smell of alcohol and sweat.

I grimace and cover my nose. Nancy does the same, but Steve seems in his element and smiles. Suddenly, the sound of cheering makes us look over at the back door.

"Billy! Billy! Billy!" I roll my eyes. _Of course he's at this party. What's he done now?_ Billy followed by a crowd of people and accompanied by Tommy saunters up to us. He looks wasted, and he's shirtless.

Nancy scoffs and walks away. "We got ourselves a new keg king, Harrington." Tommy teases, making Steve glare at him. Billy looks over at me and nods, making some of the ash on his cigarette fall.

I subtly nod back at him, a greeting, making sure Steve doesn't see. Steve grabs my hand and drags me away from them. I look down at the ground as I try to hide my blush.

I notice when the carpet changes to tile. I look up and notice that we're in the kitchen. Nancy is next to a punch bowl, taking a large gulp out of a plastic cup.

"Hey whoa, whoa! Take it easy!" Steve says, letting go of my hand and rushing to Nancy. Nancy rolls her eyes and goes back for another swig. _Better keep an eye on Nancy. I don't know how much she can handle, but it's probably not much._

"We're just being stupid teenagers for the night. Wasn't that the deal?" She asks, moving her cup around. She downs the rest of her drink and leaves us, walking into the sea of partiers.

I rub Steve's back as he slumps against the counter. I grab my own cup and fill it up halfway with whatever was in the punch bowl. _Just enough to get me buzzed. I still need to go visit El after this._ I take a sip and immeadiately recoil.

I spit whatever was in my mouth into the sink next to me. "Gah, so gross! What the hell is even in that!?" I yell, wiping my mouth. Steve raises an eyebrow and takes my cup. He takes a sip and makes a face.

"Wow, that's strong." He puts the cup down and stands up. He has a tired look on his face. I stick my hand out for him to take. "C'mon Steve, might as well have some fun." He gives me a small smile and lets me drag him into the crowd.

After a bit of dancing, we run into Nancy. She seems wasted. She's red in the face and dancing wildly, with a cup in hand. Steve and I dance with her for a bit, but when she starts to walk back to the kitchen we chase after her.

"Nance, you've had enough." I say calmy, veering her away from the kitchen. She smacks my hand away. "Screw you!"

She tries to get back to the kitchen, but Steve grabs her cup. "Nancy no." He scolds. She whines and starts to pull her cup out of his hand.

They basically play tug 'a' war with the cup. _This can only end in disaster._ I try to step in between them, but disaster strikes. Steve loses his grip on the cup making it hit Nancy when she pulls extra hard. It spills all over her sweater.

She groans as she looks at the stained sweater. "What the hell?" She whispers before walking away. Steve sighs as he follows her. _Might as well let them deal with that. I'll wait for them out here._

I walk over to the front door and lean against the wall. I start to people watch, when a familiar face walks towards me.

"Byers, didn't expect you to come to something like this." Billy says, leaning against the wall next to me. I roll my eyes and laugh. "Could say the same about you Hargrove. Isn't this too tame for you?"

"Might as well come. Free beer." I nod and pull my cigarettes out of my pocket. I freeze after I put one in my mouth. _Can't exactly light it with Billy here. He doesn't know about my powers. And I didn't exactly bring a lighter._

I put the pack back in my pocket as I look up at him. "Mind if I use your lighter? Forgot mine at home."

"What will I get in return?"

"You'll get the satisfaction that you actually have a soul."

He laughs. "Seriously, what will I get?" I sigh and cross my arms. "I don't know. What do you want?"

"From now on, you have to blush when I flirt with you." I groan. _It's against my own wishes, but I really need a smoke._ I begrudgingly nod and put my hand out.

"Fine Hargrove. You have a deal." He smirk as he puts the lighter in my hand. I put my cigarette back in my mouth and light it. I breathe in deeply and hand back the lighter.

I take out the cigarette and blow the smoke into the air around me. He stands there with me and smokes too. It's actually really calming being near Billy. He doesn't ask if I've had nightmares recently or if Will is getting worse.

He just stands there and smokes with me. It may be weird, but the silence is just what I needed. I take in another drag and flick some of the ash off my cigarette.

I go back to people watching, smiling fondly at all of the stupid costumes, but my smile falls once I spot none other than Johnathan. _I thought he went trick or treating with Will? Why is he here? What if something happens to Will, he has no one!_

"Oh, he is so dead." I mumble, dropping my cigarette and stomping it out.

"Who's dead?" Billly asks, giving me a quizical look.

"My brother. I'll see you later Billy." I say, not waiting for him to say good bye before walking away.

I sift through the crowd, making my way to Johnathan. He's at the punch bowl, filling his cup up. "Hey!" I yell over the music. He turns around to face me. He immeadiately pales when he sees me.

I grab him by the collar of his shirt and drag him out of the house. He doesn't fight me. _Good_. We walk out of the house and into the yard when I finally let go of his shirt.

"What the hell are you doing here?!? Where's Will?!?" I yell, glaring at him.

"Will's trick or treating with his friends."

"Why aren't you with him?"

"He wanted to get rid of me, like he did to you. So I decided to come here. Why are you here?" He asks, turning this on me, but no where near as angry as me.

I walk up to him and shove my finger into his chest. "One, he did not get rid of me, he asked me to stay behind. And two, I came here because I was invited and wanted a break. Johnathan, you are supposed to be with Will, no matter what."

"Will can handle himself. He wanted to not be treated like glass, so I gave him space." He says, hands up.

"I know Will can handle himself. What he went through, no one else could have survived that, but he did, so I sure as Hell know he can handle himself! And you can give him space but not tonight! I'm not asking you to treat him like glass I'm asking you to watch him!" I stop and take in a deep breath, trying to calm down. I can already smell burning grass coming from beneath my feet. _Tone down the heat Sarah._

"It's Halloween, what's the worst thing that could happen?" He asks, trying to defend himself.

"Plenty of things! Kids can be mean on Halloween, Johnathan. Someone could push him around, bully him, and send him into an episode. You know he's been having those recently, and you of all people should know how bad they are. You're the one that goes with him to the lab, not me, so you know how bad it is. I only get to know about it when he tells me, and only if he tells me!" I yell into the quiet night.

 _If I'm being honest, I'm more scared than angry. But Johnathan was asked to go with him, it was his responsibility! I don't want something happening to Will._ Johnathan stays quiet, looking down at the ground. I look down too and sigh. I look down at the boot shaped burn marks in the grass.

I rub my eyes and look back at him. I stick my hand out. "Give me the keys to my car. I'm leaving." I say, putting emphasis on 'my'. He looks up, shocked.

"Then how will I get home?"

"I don't care. You could walk home for all I care." My glare hardens. He looks like he's going to fight more, but he lets it go. He pulls out the keys and hands them to me.

I grip them tightly as I look him up and down. "Have fun at the party you just had to go to." I spit before turning on my heel.

I walk onto the street and walk along the cars, trying to find mine. _It has to be at the end, right?_ I groan and pull on my hair as I search the cars.

I stop once I hear feet hitting the pavement behind me. "Sarah wait! Wait up." I turn around and watch as Steve runs up to me.

He slows down as he reaches me. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going home."

"I kinda got that from earlier, but why?"

I freeze. "How much of that did you hear?" I ask, messing with my hair.

"I only got the end. What happened?" I sigh and start to walk again. I gesture for him to follow me.

"Where do I even start? Johnathan's at the party when he's supposed to be watching Will. What if something happens to him? Neither of us are there to help him!" I yell, waving my arms around.

Steve just listens. He listens to me ramble on about how I'm worried and angry at the same time, letting me get it all out. I take in a deep breath once I finish.

He chuckles sourly and shakes his head. "Seems like we both had a shitty Halloween, huh?" I stop, barely noticing that we made it to Steve's car, and look at him questioningly.

"What happened to you?"

"Nancy and I got in a fight. We, um, we aren't together anymore."

I gasp and cover my mouth. _What happened in that bathroom? Poor Steve._ "What happened?"

"She's still hung up on the whole Barb thing. She said we killed her and that we're just bullshit, pretending to be in love."

I put my hand on his shoulder and rub it comfortingly. "Well, she doesn't mean that. She was drunk." I try to comfort him. He laughs dryly and shakes his head.

"Drunk words are just sober thoughts. You were the one who told me that." He points out. _Crap, I did tell him that._ I try to say something else, anything else really, but I can't think of anything to make him feel better.

I sigh and lean against his car. "Guess you're right then. Some night we had. I'm really sorry about that, Steve. You didn't deserve that. And you didn't kill her, neither of you did. If anyone killed her, I did."

He leans against the car beside me. "How did you kill her?"

"I'm the one that brought craziness to Hawkins."

He stays silent for a beat before looking down at me. "How come you aren't still hung up over Barb? Weren't you two friends?"

I go to answer, but I don't really have one. _I know I should be effected by Barb's death, but I've gotten over it. Why?_ I shrug and run a hand through my hair.

"I guess I'm not hung up over it because I couldn't have done anything to prevent it. With Will, I could have not taken the shift. With El, I could have stayed with her. But with Barb, I had no way of knowing that it was gonna happen, I didn't even know at that point that the demogorgon was around, so I had no way of stopping it."

He nods along. We stay quiet for a while, basking in our pain, fear, and sadness. After a few beats of silence, Steve reaches over and shakes me.

I look up at him. "Why don't you and I leave? We could go catch a late showing of Nightmare On Elm Street." He suggests, unlocking his car. I smile widely.

 _Of course! It'll just be me and Steve, alone. I can finally spend time with him, like old times._ My smile drops slowly as I begin to think more. _No, I can't do that. He just broke up with Nancy. Me being selfish like that wouldn't be fair to either of them. And I promised El that I would spend time with her, and I can't break it._

I pat his hand and take a step back. He looks at me, confused. "'M sorry Steve, but I can't. Not tonight." He nods sadly.

"Right, you probably want to just go home. Maybe watch your little brother." He mumbles sadly, kind of spitting out he last sentence like it left a foul taste in his mouth. _Have I really been spending so much time with Will that it's even making Steve angry?_

I shake my head as I come up with a lie. _I can't tell him about El. Hopper made me promise_. "It's not that. Hopper asked me to help him with a case. He radioed me while you went to the bathroom with Nancy."

He looks a little shocked, but he nods sadly, not meeting my gaze. "Right. Your boss. Guess you can't say no to him. Maybe next time?"

I smile lightly and nod, reaching out and taking his hand. I rub my thumb across his knuckles. "Definitley. I promise." I reassure.

I let go of his hand and start to walk away. We wave at each other while I walk away and he gets into his car. I slowly walk down the line cars, looking for my car, feeling bad.

_I shouldn't leave Steve alone right now, I still remember the last time something like this happened. But I promised El that I would visit her, and I can't break that promise. I really need to stop doing so much and take Mom's advise. I need to start acting like a teenager for once. I'll do that, but first, I need to find my damn car. Where the hell did he park?!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N
> 
> Hey Guys! I really hoped you guys liked this chapter. I think I made it pretty obvious how I felt about the Steve/Nancy break up. Tell me what you thought about that. Also, tell we what you thought about Sarah yelling at Johnathan! Do you think he deserved to be yelled at, or do you think Sarah was overreacting? Stay Curious!~Lunar


	27. Marsa?

**Sarah's POV**

I drive down the back roads, towards the cabin. I grab my walkie from the passenger seat and radio El. "Hey El, I'm on my way right now. I'll be there in five." I say, ending the com.

 _Wait, didn't I promise to bring her candy? I think I still have some in the back from catering many dnd sessions._ I turn down the street leading into the woods. I drive striaght for a few more minutes before turning right. I drive into a clearing, the cabin in the center.

I turn the car off and climb out. I walk over to the back seats and pull the door open. I bend over and search the entire back row. I finally spot a bag tucked under the passenger seat. I grab it and look inside.

It's full of baby ruths, sour patch kids, and three musketeers. _I hope El likes these_. I stand up and close the car door, swinging the bag of candy.

I step over the trip wire and walk up to the cabin's steps. I knock on the door in a pattern we came up with, so we know that it's us.

_Two knocks..._   
_One knock.._   
_Three knocks..._

I hear the El unlock the door. The door opens, revealing Eleven's hopeful gaze. "Sarah!"

"Hey El. I brought candy!" I say walking inside. I close the door behind me and hand her the bag. She opens it and grabs the first candy bar she sees. She smiles before taking a big bite out of it.

I look around, frowning slightly. Hopper's not here. "Hey kid, where's Hopper?"

"Late." She grumbles before stuffing her face again. I nod and rub her shoulder. _How late is he? When did he promise to be back?_ I go to ask her these questions, but a searing pain going through my head stops me.

I cry out and hold my head."Sarah?" El's distant voice asks. I grit out a small answer. "'M fine." My body goes cold and I shake a little. I grab onto the closest thing to me, the dining table, and try to stay upright.

 _"Please run.....It knows about you.....I'm trying to help you."_ A voice calls out. It's the voice of the woman in my nightmare. I push on my temples and breathe deeply.

_Who are you? What are you warning me about?_

_"I'm Mar..sa. Mthe. It......knows."_ She says, ut her voice cuts out. The pain in my head is leaving, but so is she. Her voice becomes faint, before fully fading out. _What the hell just happened? For once, can't we have a normal year?_

I groan and feel around for a chair. I finally grab it and pull it towards me, before sitting down. I put my head on the table and breathe deeply. I hear Eleven move the other chair, most likely sitting in it.

"El, sweetie, can you hand me a piece of candy?" I ask, sticking my hand out. I feel her place a chocolate bar in my hand. I thank her and lift my head.

I unwrap the candy bar and take a big bite. I notice Eleven giving me a worried look. "Something on your mind?"

"What happened?"

"Headache." She looks at me, confused. "My head hurt." I clarify.

She's silent for a few beats, watching me eat my candy bar. She grabs a box of nerds out of the bag and eats them silently. She looks like she wants to ask something. "What's on your mind?"

"Take me to Mike." She says, putting the box down. I sigh, also putting my candy down. I rub my eyes and take her hand in mine. I rub her knuckles with my thumb, trying to keep her calm.

"El, you know I can't do that. I wish I could, but I'm not allowed. But I promise, you'll see him soon." She glares at the table. _Please, I really want to help, but what can I do? I can't just disobey Hopper._

Speaking of him, we hear him knock on the door, using our code. Eleven glares at the door not moving to open it. I would go and open the door, but I'm tired and I don't wanna get up. _I'm being lazy, sue me._

"Hey kid, I know I'm late, just let me in. I got candy, all right? I got all the good stuff." Neither of us move. "Please, will you open the door? I'm gonna freeze to death out here." He says, slapping the door. _Alright, now I feel bad._

I begrudgingly stand up and trudge over to the door. I unlock each lock, and there are a lot, and open the door. Hopper looks shocked to see me. "Sarah, how long have you been here?"

"Not long."

I hear a door slam behind me. I look over, seeing Eleven's room door closed, and probably locked. Hopper sighs and walks up to the door, lightly knocking on it. I close the front door and redo all of the locks.

"C'mon kid, open up."

No answer.

"I got, um....stuck somewhere, and lost track of time. And I'm sorry."

Still no answer.

"El, would you please open the door?" Hopper asks. He looks genuinely sorry. I sigh and sit on the couch, putting my chin in my hand. Hopper sighs, defeated, and sits down across from me on the couch.

He digs into a little plastic pumpkin bucket, grabbing a chocolate bar. _Where did he get that?_

"I'm just gonna be out here with Sarah, eating all this candy. I'm gonna get fat. It's very unhealthy to leave me out here. Could have a heart attack or something." He says, trying to get her to come out. But she isn't baited.

He sighs and throws the candy wrapper at the table. I lean over and grab the wrapper. I hold it up, burning the edges of the wrapper.

"No burning things in the cabin, kid." Hopper sighs. I nod and throw the wrapper back at the table. I stand up and make my way to the door. "You leaving already?"

"Yeah, no use me staying. I still have school in the morning. You know what to do if you need me." I say, opening the door.

I take a step out, but stop. "Hey Hop?"

"Mmhm?"

"Do you know anyone called Marsa? OR something like that?"

"No, the name doesn't sound familiar. Why?"

"No reason, I heard it somewhere, can't remember where." I lie, before leaving. I walk back to my car and climb in. _Maybe Marsa, isn't their name, but part of it? I'll check when I get home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N  
> Hey guys! What do you think 'Marsa's' real name is? And what is she warning Sarah about? Hope you really like the chapter! Stay Curious!~Lunar


	28. It's Strangely Cute

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Mentions of Suicide!

**Sarah's POV**

"Where can they be?" Mom wonders out loud as she looks for her keys. _Huh, de ja vu_. I dig through the couch cushions, but come up empty handed. I look over at Will and Johnathan, and they have about the same luck.

"Found them!" Bob calls out, walking into the living room from the hall. Mom sighs and smiles, thanking him. "Super Bob to the rescue!" He cheers, a dorky smile on his face.

Suddenly, the phone rings. "I'll get it." I say, walking over to the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Sarah! I need your help with something." Dustin says on the other end.

"What do you need? What's going on?"

"I need you to take me to the library really quick."

"Why the library?"

"I need books for research!"

 _I'm not even gonna question it anymore._ I sigh and scratch the back of my neck. "Sure Dusty, I'll be right over." I say before hanging up.

I turn around and grab my bag from the counter. I grab my keys too. I shove them into my pocket and walk to the front door.

"Sarah."

I turn around, my hand on the door, looking at Mom. "Can you take Will to school?" I look at Will, feeling bad. _I should, but Dustin needs me and I did tell him I would take him._

"Sorry Mom, I'm busy. I have to go to the library." I say. She nods. She looks lost. Bob steps forward, pointing at Will. "I can take him." He suggests.

 _Man, Super Bob to the rescue_. Will looks disappointed and a little uncomfortable, but Mom nods her head. "Thank you so much!" She says, hugging Bob in thanks.

I shake my head as I smile at the two. I wave goodbye before leaving the house and unlocking my car. I open the driver's side and slide in.

I stick the keys into the ignition, closing the door, and pull out of the dirt driveway. I turn on the radio as I drive to Dustin's house. _'Whip It'_ plays.

 _I wonder why Will looked so uncomfortable. Bob's pretty cool. He makes Mom happy, so that makes me happy._ I tap along to the song as I turn down the street, pulling up to Dustin's house.

I roll down the window and lean out. I honk the horn twice, waiting for Dustin. By the time he gets outside, the song's finished. He's carrying the ghost trap he made for Halloween. _Weird._ He runs around to the passenger seat and carefully sits down.

He gently puts the trap in his lap, but kicks his back pack to the floor. I wait for him to unbuckle before driving away.

"So, why the library again?"

He looks up at me, a nervous smile on his face. "I need to figure out whatever this is." He says, pointing at the trap.

"It's a ghost trap from Ghost Busters. I helped you make that."

"No, not the trap! I'm talking about what's inside it!"

"Inside it? What did you find while I ws gone?" I ask, glancing at him as I turn down the street leading to the library.

He looks excited, but that quickly becomes apprehensive. "I-I can't show you."

"Why not?"

"We're in your car. And people could see through the windows. I have to show you in private." _What is he going on about?_

"Did you do something illegal? I thought you were the good one."

"No! It's just something that I don't want other people knowing about until I'm certain."

I nod, not really understanding. I slow the car down before parking in front of the library. Without another word, Dustin hops out of the car and climbs up the library steps, running into the library. He left the trap in the car.

 _Maybe I should look_. I reach over to press the release button on the side, but stop short. _No, Dustin told me not to look._ I pull my arm back when it suddenly starts to move around on it's own.

I jump back, pressing myself against the door. _What the hell?!? What did he put in there?_ I hear screetching coming from it as it shakes back and forth. I place my hand on it, not really knowing what to do.

As soon as my hand touched the trap, it stops moving. It doesn't make a sound. What the hell is going on? My hand starts to cool down, without me doing anything. It starts to go from cool to cold. The traps starts to purr. I pull my arm back, freaked out.

Suddenly, the car door swings open. I look up, seeing a frantic Dustin. He has a ton of books in his arms. He throws them down next to his bag and quickly moves the trap into my lap. I stick my hands up, not wanting to touch it.

"Drive!" He yells. Without thinking, I listen to him. I take the car out of park and leave the library, a little too quickly. I try to ignore the slightly warm trap in my lap, in favor of watching Dustin out of the corner of my eye.

I start to drive to the middle school, not knowing where else to go. The radio still plays, but I don't really hear it. The purring is too loud. _Why is it purring? Why is it purring?!_

Quickly, but not quick enough for me, we make it to the middle school. I park the car. Dustin grabs his stuff and goes to leave, but I quickly lock the doors, stopping him.

"Forgetting something?" I ask, pointing down at the trap. He thanks me and grabs the trap. He tries to leave again, but I don't let him.

"What the hell is it that? It was moving and screaming earlier, and now it's purring."

"I promise I will tell you everything later." He reassures me, but I don't take it. I glare at him lightly and cross my arms.

"Dustin Henderson, you will tell me now, or so help me..." I threaten. He groans and throws his hands up, making the trap jostle around.

"Fine, but I can't talk now. Just come by later, I'll call you on the radio when, and I'll show you. But I have to get the others first." I sigh and lean back. I nod my head slowly and unlock the doors. "Fine." I look over at him, but he's already gone.

 _Great. Never should have unlocked the door. Now I have to wait God knows how long just to see what animal he put in the trap. Whatever_. I shake my head and turn the car off. _The high school's across the street, I can walk._

I climb out of the car, bag in hand, and slam the door shut, locking it. I shove my hands into my pockets and walk across the street.

I weave through the crowd of people, trying to get to the library. I shove past a group of girls and finally reach the library.

I push open the doors and walk up to the Librarian's desk. She looks up from her book, adjusting her glasses, and smiles at me.

"Sarah, you're here early. Are you looking for something?" She asks, closing the book. I look down at the book for a second, noticing that it's a romance novel. I raise an eyebrow, but remember why I'm here in the first place.

"Hi Ms. Flanigan, can you tell me where I can find the past school yearbooks?" She gives me a weird look.

"They're with the rest of the public school records. Why would you want to look at them? They're just a bunch of old books with older pictures."

"I'm just in the mood to make fun of my parents' year." I lie. She laughs and waves me off. I smile at her and rush over to the records section.

_Alright, I'm bound to find this 'Marsa' person in one of these. If she's haunting me, then she must be from Hawkins. And she looks around Mom's age, so maybe she was in the same year._

I skim through all the yearbooks until I finally find the yearbook for the class of '59. I pull it out and skim through the pages, looking for someone with a name close to 'Marsa'.

I stop on a page full of group pictures, feeling hopeless. I lean back against a bookshelf and sigh. _I'm never gonna find this person. It's impossible._ I look down at the group pictures, when something catches my eye.

It's a picture with three people, all smiling and hugging each other. Two women and a man. Underneath the photo is a small heading.

_'Joyce Horowitz, Jim Hopper, and Marissa Stern in the courtyard.'_

_That has to be her!_ The woman in the picture looks identical to the woman in my dreams. Same long hair, same eyes. But her eyes look bright, not dead like in my dreams. But in the picture she's wearing a leather jacket and jeans, not a hospital gown.

I touch the picture, tracing her smile. _She's never smiled when she talked to me. What happened to her?_ I look closer at the picture, rereading the heading, and my eyes widen.

 _Joyce Horowitz and Jim Hopper? She knew Mom and Hopper, so maybe I can ask them about her. Is that why she's talking to me?_ I close the yearbook and slip it into my backpack, planning to show Mom later.

I walk through the bookshelves, making my way out of the library, but stop right in front of the doors. _Maybe Ms.Flanigan knew her. Wouldn't hurt to ask._

"Ms.Flanigan?" I ask, walking up to her desk. She puts her book down, humming. I mess with my fingers as I walk up to her desk. "Do you know Marissa Stern?"

Her face falls, her eyes glazing over. She slowly nods, but she doesn't look happy. "Yes, I knew her."

" _Knew_ her?"

"She was a few years below me when I went here. And you know how small Hawkins is, everyone knows everyone. She was always close to your mother and the Chief of Police. They were pretty broken up about the incident."

"The incident?" I gulp, going cold.

She nods again and her eyes glisten a little with tears. "Yes, the incident. She died years ago. They say it was a suicide. Her friends found her hanging in a tree. It's so sad, because she went missing before that."

 _Oh...._ I freeze a little, feeling a headahe come on. _I mean, I assumed she was dead, but I didn't think it was gonna be something like that. but still, why is she haunting me?_ I nod slowly and take a step back.

"O-okay. Thank you for telling me Ms.Flanigan." I say as I walk away. I walk out of the library and stand in the hall. The yearbook in my bag feels ten times heavier.

I rub my eyes and walk down the hall. _I need to talk to someone about this, it's not healthy bottling it up. Maybe I can talk to Steve about this, he can help. He always has._ I look up at the clock and notice the time. _He should be in PE right now._

I walk down the hall and make my way to the gym. I push the heavy door open, and I'm hit with the heavy scent of sweat. I wrinkle my nose.

The boys are all playing basketball. It's a classic game of shirts vs skins. I walk up to the bleachers, waiting for a time out or something. I watch Steve dribble the ball. His hair is a little flatter because of his sweat.

I notice Billy running up to Steve, he's not wearing a shirt. He tries to block Steve. He seems to talk to him about something, but Steve doesn't pay attention.

Billy glances up at me, smirking. He says something else to Steve, probably about me, because Steve looks over at me. Noticing he's distracted, Billy pushes him and takes the ball.

Steve falls over, hitting the court floor hard. Billy dunks the ball into the hoop, scoring a point for his team. The coach blows the whistle. I walk down from the bleachers over to Steve. He's still on the ground.

I lean over him, letting my hair fall forward. "Hey Steve." I say, smiling down at him. He gives me a pained smile as he pulls himself up into the sitting position.

"Need help getting up?" I ask, putting my hand out. He takes it and I pull him up.

"Thanks Sarah. Where have you been?" He asks, wiping the sweat from his face. I move my hair behind my shoulder and tug on my bag.

"I had to do a little errand."

He nods, not really questioning me further. "Hey, um, Steve. Can I talk to you?" I ask, messing with my bag's strap nervously.

"Of course. What's going on?" He asks. I open my mouth, ready to ask to talk in private, when someone else's voice calls out.

"Steve, hey! Can we talk?" Nancy yells from the gym door. I groan inwardly. This is really not the best time Nance. Steve scowls. He gives me an apologetic look.

I wave him off and he walks over to Nancy. They both walk out of the gym. I walk over to the gym doors to wait for Steve and Nancy to finish talking.

I run my hand through my hair and sigh loudly. I pull the yearbook out of my bag and flip through the pages, looking for anymore pictures of Marissa. I find a few more of her with my mom.

_You know what's kind of weird? She went missing before she killed herself. Did she leave any note before she disappeared or did something happen? It just seems kind of weird, and almost coincidental._

"What'cha thinking about Byers?" Billy's voice disturbs my train of thought. I jump in suprise. He laughs at my reaction.

I glare lightly at him, closing the yearbook. "I'm thinking about how much you suck at Basketball." I tease as I put the yearbook back in my bag.

He scoffs. "Yeah right. I'm the best on that court."

"I never said they were good."

He rolls his eyes. "Yeah well whatever. I'm still better than your 'King Steve'." He teases right back. I groan at the old nickname. I refuse to respond to it.

"Why'd you stop by? Looked like you had a reason."

"Needed to talk to Steve." I respond.

"What about?"

"What is this, 20 questions?" He laughs. He goes to talk, but Steve comes stomping back into the gym. Brushing past both of us. He seems pissed.

 _I shouldn't go talk to him. He seems stressed, and my shit will just make him more stressed._ I look down and cross my arms. "Seems like he doesn't want to talk." Billy points out. I nod along with him.

"Sarah?" I hear Nany ask. I look over at her. She looks uncomfortable. "Nance?" I ask, waiting for her to go on. She looks over at Billy, eyeing him suspiciously. He must notice her looks, because he leaves us alone.

I give him a weird look, but his back is turned to me. "See you later, toots." He calls over his shoulder. _Right, our deal._ I groan and look back at Nancy.

"Did Steve tell you about what happened?" She asks awkwardly. _Oh, they talked about the break up. No wonder Steve seemed so angry._

"Yeah, he told me." She looks nervous now.

"You have to understand. I was drunk, I didn't mean it. You're his bestfriend, he'll listen to you. You have to tell him that I didn't mean it!" She pleads. There are legitament tears in her eyes, but I don't feel that bad. _She hurt Steve. I'm not gonna be the messanger. If he doesn't believe her, he won't believe me._

"Nance, I'm not gonna-" I start, but my radio goes off.

"Sarah! Mayday! Dart got out!" Dustin's voice yells through the radio, muffled by the backpack. I look at my bag and back to Nancy.

"Sorry, gotta go help Dustin."

"You need any help?"

"Nah, I got this." I say, walking out of the gym. _What's another skip day?_ I walk over to the parking lot and pull out the radio.

"Dustin what's happening? What the hell is 'Dart'?" I ask, speed walking over to the middle school.

"The thing in the trap! I named him Dart. I was showing the others, but it escaped!"

"Okay, I'm on my way."

"Meet us at the AV club room."

Dustin signs off after that. I sigh and shove the radio back into my bag. I run over to the school doors and shove past them. I rush down the hall, looking for the AV room, when a voice calls out.

"Sarah! Over here!" Dustin hisses from around the corner. I run over to him, spotting the rest of the boys and Billy's younger sister.

I lean over and pant, out of breath. _Man, I need to start running more._ I point at Dustin, making him perk up. "What, _pant,_ are we looking for?"

He looks awkward and starts to move his hands out. "Well, it's kind of hard to explain. It's like a tadpole, but maybe it's a polywog-"

"It looks like a slug'" Lucas chimes in.

"I don't like it-" Will mumbles.

"I tried to kill it-" Mike says.

I shoot my hands out and wave them around, silencing the boys. I shake my head and stan up straight, finally catching my breath. "I need a description, not a story. MadMax, you have any information?" I ask, bringing her into the conversation.

Mike glares at her, while Lucas and Dustin stare at her, hopeful, maybe even admiringly. She visibly gulps and shakes her head.

I cross my arms and groan. "Great, that makes this so much harder. How about I go with one of you, since you guys saw it, and we spread out across the school. Cover more ground." I say, trying to come up with anything resembling a plan.

They all nod along. "Great, I'll tag along with Dustin." I clap my hands together. "Let's go." We all split up.

I follow Dustin down the hall, checking every empty classroom. There seems to be nothing out of the ordinary in the classes. Dustin groans after every classroom.

We go down another hall, but something catches my eye. I look down the hall we just left, and see someone walking down the hall, in the direction of the gym. Suddenly, my nose starts to bleed.

"Sarah!" Dustin yells, making me look away. I wipe my nose and look back down the hall, but there's no one there. _Strange._

I jog up to him, and we keep looking. "Soooo." He says, drawing out the 'o'. I hum in acknowledgment.

"How do you know Max?" He asks, blushing a little. _Aw, Dusty has a crush!_ I smile and shrug. "Well, I work at the arcade, so I see her from time to time. She's pretty good."

He nods. "Why? You wanna know more about her?" I tease. He blushes more, and starts to stammer, making me laugh. He tries to defend himself, but his radio goes off, interrupting him.

"I found him." Will says.

He quickly grabs his radio, almost dropping it, and answers. I lean in closer to the radio, feeling my headache come back, worse now.

"Where?"

"In the bathroom by Mr.Salerno's." Will whispers. Dustin and I nod, knowing exactly where to go, and bolt it to the bathroom. Dustin runs ahead of me, running down each hall.

We turn the corner one final time, and skid to a halt in front of the bathroom. Dustin shoves the door open and inspects the stalls, opening them one by one. I follow. Weirdly, Will isn't in here.

After making sure each stall was hecked, we open the last one. In the corner, next to the toilet, is this weird, slimey looking thing.

"Hey buddy." Dustin smiles. He leans down and puts his hand out. The thing slowly crawls towards him. "C'mon, you know I won't hurt you." Dustin coos.

It crawls into his hand, and he stands up, cradling it. He coos at it some more, making it chitter happily back at him. I smile a little. "So, what is this thing?" I ask.

Dustin looks up at me and moves it around a little. It seems to look at me as well. "I don't know, but I think I made a new discovery. His name is D'Artagnan, or Dart for short. He seems to really like nougat." He says.

"Wanna hold him?" He brings Dart closer to me. I look down warrily at the creature, but push my worry away. I shrug and put my hands out. He puts Dart in my hands, and they immeadiately go cold.

Suprisingly, Dart starts to purr, even nuzzling up to my thumbs. I chuckle a little. "He's kind of cute, in an ugly sort of way." I joke, making Dustin laugh.

Suddenly, I start to cough. Lightly at first, but it soon gets violent. I have to push Dart back into Dustin's hands, so I can cover my mouth. "Sarah?" Dustin asks, worried.

I wave him off, but I can't stop coughing. I feel something drip past my lips as the coughing gets worse. I close my eyes when the world starts to spin a little. I grip onto the stall door to keep myself steady.

I open my eyes, but the stall door isn't there anymore. The bathroom is gone too. Hell, even Dustin and Dart are gone. The coughing starts to subside, finally letting up.

I look around, finding myslef in a livingroom. _Where the hell am I?_ I hear murming coming from the room next to me. I look over at the kitchenette, and see a woman. A woman with long brown hair and pale skin. She's wearing a purple sweater and paint splattered jeans.

 _It's Marissa. Why am I seeing this, and why now?_ She's pacing in her kitchen, running her hands though her hair. She seems worried.

"How am I supposed to tell him?! Would he even care? Maybe I shouldn't tell him. I don't think I can tell him." She says, tugging on her hair. _What is she talking about?_

She keeps pacing, until the doorbell goes off. She looks confused. "Who's that? Joyce would have called if she was coming over." She questions aloud. She walks over to the door and opens it.

I follow behind her and look over her shoulder. At her door, are three people, wearing business like-clothing. In front, is a woman. She smiles at Marissa, but there's something hif=ding behind it that I can't place.

"Hi ma'am. Are you Marissa Stern?" She asks, too sweetly for my taste.

"Yes, I'm her. What's going on?" Marissa asks, putting one hand on her hip.

"We're with the US Depatment of Energy. We just wanted to ask you a few questions." The woman says. I look behind her and pale. I feel my blood run cold. Behind her is a van, the same van used at the lab.

 _What is the lab doing here? What do they want with Marissa?_ Marissa seems skeptical. "What kind of questions would the Department of Energy ask?" She interrogates.

The woman tries to talk, but Marissa interrupts her. She raises her hand, silencing her. "I'm sorry, but I'm pretty busy right now. I can answer the questions some other time. Good day." She says, shutting the door on them.

But right before the door shuts, a foot stops the door. "Grab her." The woman says from the other side. I reach forward to try and pull Marissa away from the door, but my hand goes through her.

The door busts open, knocking Marissa back. Scientists rush in and grab her arms. "What the hell?! Let go if me you asshats!" She yells, struggling against them.

She manages to get herself free for a few moments. For those few moments, she runs to her phone on the wall. She's quick enough to take it off the reciever, but not quick enough to dial a number.

The scientists grab her again and drage her to the door. The woman from before stands there, smiling. She pulls out a walkie talkie and brings it up to her mouth. "We got her." She says into it.

The world around me starts to spin as I hear Marissa scream. My cough comes back with a vengence. I fall to the floor, coughing violently. I close my eyes, feeling nauseous.

"Sarah...."

"Sarah."

"Sarah!" Dustin screams. I open my eyes, and find myself back in the school bathroom. I give Dustin a thumbs up and get the coughing to subside. I feel something drip out of my mouth. I wipe at my lip and find blood. _First my nose, and now my mouth? What's next, my ears?_

I wip at my mouth and sit down, trying to calm down. "Sarah, are you okay? Do you need water?" Dustin asks, Dart's no where to be found.

"I-I'm fine, Dusty." I reassure him.

"No you're not! You coughing for, like, five minutes! What the hell happened?!" He asks, moving his arms around. I put my hand out, grabbing his, and make him stop.

"Just a freak occurance. I'll tell you later." The coughing may have gone away, but now I feel sick to my stomach. My body feels hot and cold at the same time.

 _Why is this happening? Last time I felt this bad was when we were at the arcade and I found Will outside staring at nothing. Is this connected to Will?_ I feel my hands shake as I pull myself up. "Dustin, where's Will?" I ask, looking around.

"I don't know. Maybe hes-" Suddenly, Mike, Lucas, and Max run in. Still no Will. They all check the stalls, finding them empty.

"He said by Salerno's right? Where is it?" Max asks. _Are they talking about Dart?_

"I don't know. Maybe he's with Will." Dustin says. I raise an eyebrow, confused. _Didn't we just have him? What's Dustin up to?_

"Where's Will?" Mike asks. He looks scared. He runs out of the bathroom, yelling Will's name. _Scary De-ja-vu._ We follow after him, yelling for Will. We split up again.

I go with Dustin and Max while Lucas and Mike go together. "Will!" Dustin yells.

I cup my hands over my mouth. "Will! Where are you?!" We turn down the corner and run into my mom.

"Mom?"

"Sarah?

"Mrs.Byers?"

"What's going on? Where's Will?" Mom asks, looking just as scared as I feel. The sound of a door opening answers her. We look over at the entrance, seeing Lucas running in. "The field!" He says, before running back outside.

We run out with him and follow him to the center of the field. In the center are Mike and Will. Will is standing stark still and Mike is shaking him.

Mike looks over at us. "I found him like this. I think he's having another episode!" He freaks out. Mom grabs Will shoulders and shakes him, but he won't open his eyes.

"Will? Sweetie, wake up! It's Mom! Will!" She all but screams, but it doesn't work. "Can you hear me?" I reach over, but quickly recoil as soon as I touch his shoulder.

 _He's freezing cold._ I look at his face, confused. His eyes are moving beneath his eyelids, as if he's seeing something. _He's seeing the Upside Down isn't he? That's why he's so cold._ I grab his shoulder, and start to talk.

"Will, wake up! Whatever you're seeing, it's not real. You need to wake up!" I yell, shaking him. He just gets colder beneath my fingertips, as cold as my hands were earlier, before I had my vision, when I was holding Dart.

I hear screaming in the back of my mind, along with something growling, making me gasp. My body starts to shake, making the others take a step back.

_"It's here....the monster...you need to run." Marissa says._

_This is my brother, and I am helping him!_ I scowl and grip Will's shoulder tighter. I will some of my energy into that hand, heating it up, making the cold go away.

Suddenly, Will gasps, opening his eyes wide. He breathes heavily, looking incredibly scared. I smile tiredly and hug him tightly. He shakily hugs back, shaking violently. _He's still cold...._

I let him go and Mom immeadiately hugs him. The next moments happen quickly. Mom takes Will home and leaves the rest of us in the field. _What is going on and why does Will have to go through this? And what is this monster that seems to haunt not only Will, but me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N
> 
> Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait, but I've been dealing with some stuff recently, so I wasn't able to get to the story. So far, this is the longest chapter, tell me if you guys like the long chapters, or if you perfer the shorter ones! Also, who do you think Marissa was talking about, and what is she was so scared to tell him? Hope you guys liked the chapter!~Lunar


	29. Strange Things Are Happening Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's going on with Sarah? Strange things are happening here, how stranger can it be?

**Sarah's POV**

I get out of my car and walk up to my house. I unlock the door and make my presence known. "Mom, Will! I'm home." I yell.

I throw my backpack onto the couch. I hear footsteps coming from the hallway. "Sarah? What are you doing home? I thought you went back to school." Mom asks, looking worried.

"I wanted to make sure Will was okay. And I'll be fine with missing one day." I reassure her. She nods her head. "So, Will tell you anything?" I ask, walking over to the kitchen.

I grab a cup and fill it with water from the sink. I hear the chair creaks as she sits down. She sighs. I turn around and lean against the sink. She looks so tired.

She has visible bags under her eyes. "He saw a monster. The one in this picture." She says, holding up a drawing. I look over the picture. It has a giant, lanky, and dark creature on it.

"He drew that. I found that thing in the recording from Halloween." The background is all red and it sends a shiver down my spine. _This is what it looks like? What even is this thing?_

I put the paper down and look back at her. "You said you saw it in the recording? Where is the tape?" I ask. She stands up and leads me to the tv. She grabs a tape from on top of it and pops it into the vhs player.

The video plays, showing all of us smiling into the camera. I reach up and fast forward to when Will goes trick or treating. I stop it, noticing the change on the screen.

The video shows some older kids pushing Will around and scaring him. _Assholes_. One kid in a clown costume shoves him, making him drop the camera.

It hits the ground, and the video starts to mess up. It starts to go fuzzy a little and it glitches. When the screen is clear, I see Will staring out, yelling Mike's name.

It starts to glitch even more, showing something in the background. Suddenly, the screen freezes, revealing the monster from the drawing.

"Holy shit. Mom, wh-" I turn to ask her, but immeadiatly stop. Not only was the video frozen, but so was she.

I stand up really quickly and take a step back. "M-mom?" I ask, but she's staring at the tv, frozen. I look back at the tv, hearing it whine. I cover my ears, trying to block out the sound.

The whining is accompanied by growling, most likely coming from the monster. "Get out of my head." I whimper, pressing harder on my ears.

It starts to get louder and louder. _It hurts so much._ Suddenly, the whining leaves, but the growling just gets louder. It's almost like it's shaking the house.

I push my hands out and ignite them, looking around. It sounds like it's coming from all around me, but also like it's not even real, just in my hand.

I make my flames burn brighter as my fear and anxiety grows. "Get out of my head!" I yell as loud as I can. And just like that, it goes silent. Almost like the quiet in the center of the storm.

"Sarah?"

I look behind me to see my mom, looking at me confused, and almost suprised. She's no longer frozen, and neither is the tv. "M-mom?" I whisper, feeling my body cool down.

"How did you get there? You were just in front of the tv." She asks, walking up to me. I feel my eyes well up with tears. I start to shake my head and run my hand through my hair. "I-I don't know. W-what's wrong with me?" I ask, mainly to myself, but she hears.

She moves closer to me and cups my face, making me look at her. I feel tears spill out of my eyes, making my vision blurry. She wipes away my tears with her thumb. "Sarah, are you okay? What's going on?" She asks, voice calming and quiet.

I shake my head and try to wipe my eyes. "I don't know! But I'm scared." I admit. She gives me a sad look and pulls me into a hug. I tightly hug her back.

I try to calm down, but all of the stress of what's been happening just crashes down on me. I don't cry harder, but I keep crying.

She shushes me gently and pets my hair, trying to help, and it does. I finally calm down after a while and pull away, wiping away my tears. Mom still looks concerned, but she doesn't say anything, which I'm thankful for.

Now that I'm not crying, I notice how tired I really am. I take a step back and lower my head. "I'm gonna go to bed. Sleep off the stress maybe." I say, turning and grabbing my bag from the couch.

"Sarah, are you sure? Do you want to talk about what's going on?"

I turn to face her and give her a sad smile. "Maybe some other time, when Will isn't going through something like this. I promise though, I will talk to you about this." I reassure her. She nods and watches me leave.

I trudge my way to my room, letting my bag drag on the ground. I push my door open and throw my bag on my bed. I sigh and rub my tired eyes. I close the door with my foot and flop onto my bed.

I let a small smile grace my features as I feel how soft and welcoming my blanket feels. I move my hand around when I suddenly feel a rough and brittle part of my blanket. _Right, I burned my blanket. Still need to replace this._

I turn over onto my back and run my hand through my hair.

"Smmrmm." Hopper's muffled voice cuts through the silence in my room. I groan and sit up, feeling a headache come on. I reach over to my bag and fish out my radio.

"What Hopper?" I snap.

"Sarah, you need to come over. It's Eleven."

"What now?" I don't mean to be so short, but I'm so tired.

"She had a melt down, and now she's locked herself in her room."

"Why did she have a melt down?"

"She left the cabin today to see Mike, and she was seen." _El went to see Mike? So that kid in the hall, that must have been Eleven._ I rub my forehead, trying to make the headache go away.

"So you want me to get her out?"

"Please Sarah."

"No Hopper. She's not going to listen to me." I say. I hear him groan.

"Sarah please. She'll listen to you because-"

"Because I'm like her?" I cut him off.

"You know that's not what I meant. I was going to say because she likes you more."

 _Oh...but still!_ "She knows I'm just going to tell her the same thing you say. She doesn't want to hear it anymore. And neither do I."

"What are you talking about?" He asks, referring to my last comment. I sigh and kick my bag off the bed. It lands with a thump.

"Hopper, I don't even want to tell her why she can't go out. We've been telling her that since day one. And we've been telling her she could leave some day, she doesn't believe it anymore."

"Well, it's dangerous."

"Hopper, don't give me that crap! It's been almost a year. It's safe! She'll keep leaving, you know that right? She'll rebel more, and get hurt. At least if you let her leave, one of us could watch her in case something happens." I yell at him. He's quiet.

 _It's weird, I've never yelled at Hopper, or an adult for that matter. Oh well._ He still doesn't answer after a while. "Well?" I snap.

"I'm trying Sarah." I groan and grip my blanket tightly. _I'm over this._

"Hopper, you have till the end of the year. If you don't do something by then, I will." I shut off my radio, stopping him from saying anything else.

I slam my radio onto my bedside table and turn on my side, trying to fall asleep.

_Dream~_

_I stand before the middle school. It's in ruins. The sky is blood red, with random flashes of light, like lighting. The Upside Down, it looks different._

_It's freezing cold here. I feel goosebumps rise on my arms. I rub my arms, trying to warm myself up, but it's all for nothing._

_Wind blows, hitting me head on, but it's not like wind. It's more like a breath. Something is here, and it knows I'm here too._

_The ground beneath me starts to shake, making me fall down. I feel a stinging feeling in the palm on my hand as I hit the ground. Something starts to rise behind the middle school. It unfurls it's arms, stretching longer than the length of the school._

_It's the monster from Will's drawing. It's a thessalhydra. I feel like it's staring right at me. It curls one of it's tentacle like arms around the school, making it crumble a little._

_The building groans under the weight of the monster's arm. I crawl back, trying to get away from the thing. I begin to breathe heavily, feeling the debris in the air fill my lungs._

_It moves again, but it sulks away from me. It growls as it goes back behind the school. Right before sinking down fully, it flicks the tentacle on the school, causing pieces of the school to go flying._

_Huge chunks soar towards me. I raise my arms up and scream._

_End of Dream~_

I shoot forward, clutching my chest and breathing heavily. I look around, finding myself in my room and not the Upside Down with that....thing. I feel a sting in my right palm.

I take my hand off of my chest and inspect it. My palm is scraped and bleeding a little. _What the hell?! How did this happen?_ I quickly stand up and rush over to my closet. I open it and reach down to grab my first aid kit. _Good thing I kept this thing in here._

I pull it out and open it. I grab a bandaid and some wipes to clean the scrape. I hiss at the sting when I touch the scrape. _That was just a dream, but how did I scrape my hand?_ I finish cleaning my hand and put a band aid on it.

I look out my window, noticing the sun's already up. _Shit, I'm probably missing school. Oh well, doesn't really matter anyway._ I put my first aid kit back in my closet and walk over to my door.

I wait a second before walking out to the living room. I hear Mom talking to someone in the living room. "Just tell him to call me the second he walks in. Please." _Probably talking about Hopper._

I run my hand through my hair and walk over to the kitchen. I yawn as I grab a cup. "Thank you." Mom says before hanging up. She looks over at me with a concerned smile.

"You're up. How'd you sleep? Are you feeling better?" She asks, walking over to me. I fill my cup with orange juice and sit down at the table.

"I'm fine Mom. Just had another nightmare."

"Another?"

I hum and nod my head. I take a sip of my orange juice and sigh. "Yeah, weird stuff too, but I can handle it. I think it's just memories that I need to get over." I lie. _I should tell her about them, but she's busy being worried about Will. She doesn't need the added stress._

She just nods and looks over at the hallway. I look over and see Will, still in his pajamas. _Guess I'm not the only one who woke up late._ He looks terrible, as if he hasn't slept in weeks.

"You're up. How're you feeling?" I ask, raising my cup to him.

"Fine." He says as he walks over. He sits down next to me. Suddenly, I hear a faint growl in my head. _What the hell?_ I look at Will a little closer, and feel this weird aura around him. Like something dark and sinister.

Mom walks up to him and feels his forehead. She looks confused. She feels his forehead again, but her face doesn't change. "Stay right there." She says before walking over to the cabinet.

She pulls out the first aid kit and opens it, pulling out the thermometer. "Let me check something." She says, handing the thermometer to Will. Will puts it in his mouth and we wait.

I look at Mom, confused. _What is she doing?_ After a while of sitting in silence, Mom finally takes the thermometer out of his mouth.

She looks even more confused when she looks at it. "Is it a fever?" Will asks.

Mom looks up at me and motions me to come over. I stand up and walk around her. "No. It's....."

"It's cold." I say, staring at the low temperature. _Normal peoples' bodies shouldn't be able to go that low...._ "Do you feel cold?" I ask, leaning forward to feel his forehead. He shrinks back, away from my hand.

"No, just a little out of it." He says, staring at my hand weirdly. I slowly bring my arm back. He looks back over at Mom, shifting slightly. "Like I haven't really woken up yet."

Something shifts in his eyes, but it's gone too quickly for me to get a good look. Mom gives him a look, making him shift uncomfortably. "You promised, no doctor."

"And I said, no doctor." She reassures him. "How about I run you a nice warm bath. It'll warm you up a bit. That sound nice?" She says, standing up and walking over to the bathroom.

I hear the water start to run. Will stands up, stiffly, and walks over to his room to get ready for his bath. _What's going on with him? It's almost like he's not really there._

I put my empty cup in the sink and walk over to my room. As I pass Will's room, I feel a chill go down my spine. I try to ignore it, but it was just so weird.

I walk into my room and change out of the clothes I wore yesterday. I peel my shirt off, suddenly finding myself sweating buckets.

I throw my shirt onto my bed. _It's like my body temperature is going haywire. One minute I'm freezing, and the next I'm sweating._ I shake my head and pull my new shirt over my head. I finish changing clothes and walk out of my room.

Mom's in the living room, on the phone with someone. I walk over to the couch and put my hair in a ponytail. Mom groans and slams the phone back on the reciever.

I try to talk to her, but Will walks into the living room, towel around his waste. "Mom. It's too hot." He says. I follow Mom and Will into the bathroom, hearing the water go down the drain.

Mom feels the water that's still in the tub and sighs. "I can cool it down a little bit, baby, but we gotta get your body temp back up." Will goes stiff, like a board. "No."

He said it with so much force, I take a step back. "What?" Mom asks.

"He likes it cold." _He? Who's he?!_ Will walks away after that, not saying anything else. But right before he goes into his room, he looks back at me and glares.

I take a step back. _He glared at me? Will's never done that, even when he's been mad at me. I don't think he's acting like himself, or at least, not entirely._ Mom notices my weird look.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just....Will glared at me?" I say, more like a question. Mom looks suprised. She starts to mumble to herself, walking out of the bathroom. I follow her, not really knowing what else to do.

She paces around before finally looking back up at me. "You still have your walkie-talkie right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Do you think you can call Hopper on it? Do you know his frequency or whatever it is?" She asks. I nod my head and jog over to my room. _At least she can tel something weird is going on._ I rush in and grab my bag from off the floor.

I unzip it and dig through it. Finally, I find my radio. I cheer under my breath and jog back into the library with Mom. She waits for me to make the call. I take a deep breath and press the red button on the side.

"Hopper, it's Sarah. I need you over at my house ASAP."

I wait a few seconds, but I get no answer. I groan and press the red button again. "Hopper, are you there? It's Sarah."

No answer.

"Hopper! It's Sarah, are you there?!" Finally, I get an answer.

"Yes I'm here. What's going on Sarah?" He sounds tired.

"I need you over here at my house ASAP. It's Will." There's a beat of silence before he answers. "I'm on my way."

I sign off and look back over at Mom. I give her a thumbs up and she sighs in relief. I toss the radio onto the couch and sit down, waiting for Hopper. Mom continues to pace, biting her finger tips. She moves around the house, opening the doors and windows, letting in the cold Fall air.

I activate my fire power and heat myself up from the inside, so there's no fire. I look into the hall way, paranoid. I'm wathing to see if Will will leave his room, but there's not even a noise coming from the hall.

Suddenly, there's a knock on the front door's doorframe. Mom rushes over to it and greets Hopper. "Where have you been?" Mom demands, leading him to Will's room.

"I overlept. What the hell is going on? It's freezing." He says, deciding against taking off his coat. I stand up and follow them.

Mom knocks on Will's door before opening it. "We have a visitor." She says, opening the door wider. I shiver as soon as I walk in. It's even colder in here, even with my powers heating me up.

Will is sitting on his bed, only in shorts, staring at an open window. He doesn't turn around. Noticing the unwelcoming aura around him, I slip out of the room and back into the living room.

I walk over to the dining table and look over the drawings we left there last night. I pick up his drawing and inspect it. _That's the thing I saw last night._ I look up, hearing Hopper and Mom walking over to me.

I hand Hopper the drawing in my hand. He raises an eyebrow as soon as he sees it. "Will drew this on Halloween. We think he's been seeing this." I tell him. He nods and walks back to Will's room, Mom following him.

I stay in the living room and look around. The house seems to be getting colder and colder, and it's like the air around me is heavier. The hair on the back of my neck rises.

I feel a shift in the air, like everything stopped. I look behind me, out the window, and I gasp at the sight. Tons of birds, flying in v-formations, stuck and frozen in the air.

 _It happened again..._ I hear something move behind. I quickly turn around, seeing a familiar face.

"Marissa..." I breathe out. She smiles, but it looks pained. She seems to flicker in and out of existance. Her hairy looks even more tangled than last time, and the blisters have spread from her hands to the sides of her face. I can barely look at her.

She puts her hand out, as if offering it to me. "Come. Get away from this. Away from the pain." She offers, and for once her voice doesn't cut out. _Get away? Like die?_ I take a step back and shake my head.

"I'm sorry Marissa, I can't go with you. I'm not running away." I tell her. She seems to falter, looing hurt almost, but her sad smile returns.

She shakes her head. "You're just like him." She starts to cry. She flickers out even more. _Like who?_ The more she flickers, the more time seems to move. I look over at the clock, seeing it slowly ticking.

 _It's waring off._ I look back over at Marissa, but she's gone. Suddenly, the phone starts to ring, making me jump. I rush over to the phone and take it off the reciever.

"Hello?" I ask, voice shaking.

"Sarah?" Mike asks. _Mike? He should be in school._

"Mike, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. How's Will?"

"I don't know. He's been in room all day." I say, looking over at his bedroom.

"Okay...bye!" Mike says quickly before hanging up. I look at the phone, confused. _I bet he's gonna come by after school to check on Will._ I shrug and put the phone back.

"Sarah?" Hopper asks. I jump and whirl around to look at her. He's holding a huge pile of papers, all with random scribbles on them. I clear my throat and mess with my ponytail. "Hopper. You guys figure anything out?" I ask, leaning against the wall.

"Yeah. Turns out, that thing in the picture is what Will was talking about. It's the thing that likes the cold. He didn't say much, but he said he's getting 'now-memories'." I nod along, masking my concern.

"And what's with the scribbles?" I ask, pointing at the pile of papers.

"We thought it would be easier for him to tell us if he didn't have to say anything. So, he's drawing whatever it is." He drops the pile onto the table and sits down.

I walk over and look at the drawings. It's just a bunch of purple, blue, and black lines. Hopper takes a few from the pile and looks them over, just as confused as I am.

"It's just more of the same." Mom says, walking over to us with more papers. She puts her stack on Hoppers and looks at them. She seems to be scanning them.

She looks at the one in my hand. "Wait." She says, taking it from me. She grabs the one in Hopper's hand and lines them up. "They connect." She points out, dragging her finger across it.

 _It's like a trail._ Hopper stands up and starts to move furnature around. He moves the coffee table and the couch out of the way, clearing a huge space in the living room.

Mom and I grab stacks of the papers and start to place them on the floor, trying to connect them. After we run out of our stacks, Mom runs back into Will's room to grab more.

She comes back and hands Hopper and I our own stacks. I move my papers around and try to connect each of the trails.

Finally, I stand up and look at the image we created. Thye do the same. The drawings came out to be hundred of vines.

"Does this mean anything to you?" Hopper asks.

"No. I mean, is it some sort of maze or a road?" Mom asks, walking around the pictures. "It's a map." I mumble, but neither of them hear me.

The begin to talk, but I don't listen. I walk around the pictures and try to find familair shapes, but I can't find anything. _It's a map alright. But a map of what exactly?_

"Maybe it's roots. He said it was growing..." Mom says, knocking me out of my train of thought.

"Killing. He said killing." Hopper corrects her, making them both look at each other seriously. _What did I miss?_ "Vines." Hoper says before walking to the front door.

He grabs his hat and Sherrif's coat from the hanger. "He's drawing vines." He says one last time before leaving. I turn to talk to Mom, but the phone suddenly starts to ring again. "I-I'll get it." I say, walking carefully, trying not to step on the papers.

I reach the phone and answer. _Second time today._

"Hello?"

"Sarah! I need your help, now!" Dustin yells at me, making me take the phone away from my ear. After making sure I can still hear, I put the phone back up to my ear.

"Dustin, what's going on?"

"It's Dart!"

"Dart? I thought we lost him?"

"No, I-I'll explain everything, you just need to get over here. Now!" He yells again before hanging up.

My eyes widen as I put the phone back. I look back over at Mom. "I gotta go." I tell her before running to my room. I grab my bag from the floor, pulling my keys out of it, and run out the door.

I rush over to my car and quickly climb in, starting it and pulling out. I race down the road, trying to get there as soon as possible. _First the thessalhydra, now whatever Dart is? Are we ever going to get a break?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N  
> Sorry if this chapter was a little weird, I promise the next upcoming chapters will be a lot better. What do you think is going on with Sarah? Also, chapters are going to be longer from here on out, so look forward to long-ass chapters. Hope you enjoyed! Stay Curious!~Lunar


	30. How Did You Not Know?!?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was obvious!

**Sarah's POV**

"Dustin, what's going on?" I ask, climbing out of my car. He looks panicked, his curly hair sticky out in every direction. He's breathing heavily. He's wearing a bunch of padding, like an umpire in a baseball game.

"Dart...ate...my cat." He pants.

"Your cat?!?" I exclaim, rushing over to him. "How did he eat your cat? Mews is like three times his size." I ask, throwing my hands into the air. "He grew!"

I put my hands out, one on his shoulder, and look him in the eye. "How big did he get?"

"To the size of Mews." _How in the hell? It could literally fit in the palm of my hand, now it's the size of a cat? What is this thing?_ I take a deep breath, calming my mind. "Dustin, where is Dart?" I ask.

"In my room." 

"You mean the thing that ate your cat is still in the house?!" I exclaim. He starts to stutter, trying to come up with an explanation.

He starts to panic even more, making me worried. "I don't know what to do! I told Mom that Mews ran away, what am I going to tell her when she doesn't find him?!"

"Dustin..."

"What if Dart gets bigger and he eats something else?! What if he eats a person?!"

"Dustin."

"I'm so screwed! I kept a monster in my room and now it's gonna eat everyone!"

"Dustin!"

"What?!" He yells, tugging on his already crazy hair. I pull his hands out of his hair and try to get him to calm down. 

"Dustin, breathe. I'll help you get rid of Dart. You don't need to panic. I'll help you with everything, okay?" I reassure him.

He stares at me and he seems to calm down. He nods and grabs my arm, pulling me into the house. "Do you have your bat?" He asks, walking over to the fridge. He opens it and pulls out a pack of ham.

"No, I think Steve has it." He looks over at me and looks at my hands. "You can use your powers, I guess." He walks over to the hallway leading to his room, and I wait for him at the entrance.

He lays down a trail of ham, starting from his bedroom all the way to the door. He hands me the rest of the ham. "Make a trail leading to the cellar. I need to get a few more supplies." He says before running off. 

I follow his instructions and make a trail of ham all the way to the cellar. _Didn't think this was how my day was gonna be spent._

By the time I get to the cellar, there's no more ham in the pack. I sit on the only closed cellar door, throwing the pack into the cellar, and look up at the sky. _I seriously need to figure out what the hell is happening to me._

I bring my left hand up in front of my face. I curl my pinkie and ring finger, letting my middle and pointer fingers bend back a little. I breathe out my nose slowly.

I feel a cold feeling go up my arm. _That's new. Even with water, it's always a warm feeling._ I stare at my arm, feeling the coldness pool in the palm of my hand. My veins are bright blue. _Do they always do this?_

I shake my head and focus on getting the feeling out of my hand. Water starts to shoot out of my hand, like a fountain. I shape the water, forming it into a ball. It almost looks solid, but if anything touched it, it would burst like a bubble.

Suddenly, a door slams open. I jump in suprise, popping the bubble by accident. Lucky for me, the water mainly stays in my hand, but some splashes onto my shirt.

"Shit shit shit! Sarah, in the shed!" Dustin yells at me. He's running, more like waddling, over to the open shed a little away from the cellar.

I quickly hop up and rush to the shed, closing it behind us. I look through the little spaces in the door, waiting. _Waiting for what, I'm not sure. I still don't know how bad Dart looks._

"C'mon, I know you're hungry." Dustin mumbles. I try to look at the house, when Dart finally comes out. My blood runs cold and I gasp. Dart's the size of a medium sized dog, like Chester. _Damn, what happened to Chester?_ When he eats the ham trail, he does something that makes my palms sweaty. 

His mouth opens up, like a flower. There's only one other thing that I know that does that. _Dart's a baby Demogorgon....._ Dart follows the trail, almost happily, as he eats it.

He gets to the open cellar and looks in, but hesitates. _What's he thinking?_ Quickly, he looks over at us, chirping lightly. He sounds confused. It's like he's staring right at us.

Dustin gasps and takes a step back, but I stay where I am. Dart takes a few steps further, growling and chirping as he gets closer.

Dustin's still breathing heavily, pressing himself up against the shed wall. I take a step back and try to warm my hands up. _Just fry the sucker, it's easy. But why does that thought make me feel guilty?_ I hear Dart chirp even more, like he can tell I'm here.

I shake my hand and stop my attempts. I can't. _Why can't I? It's like my body won't let me hurt Dart._ I start to get lost in my thoughts, but Dustin's yelling knocks me out.

I look over at him. He kicks open the shed door, scaring Dart, and chases him, waving around a hockey stick. He yells as he chases Dart all the way to the cellar.

Dart tries to turn, but Dustin hits him with the hockey stick, sending him flying into the cellar. Dustin falls from the sheer force of his swing.

I hear Dart whimper in pain, but it's slowly followed by growling. I finally jump into action and run over. _Dart's gonna try to escape. I'm too far away and Dustin's still on the ground._

I shoot my hand out, feeling it go cold. I send a blast of water at the cellar door, slamming it closed. That seems to stop Dart long enough for me to get over there and keep the doors closed.

Dustin finally gets up, helping me keep it closed. "I'm sorry. You ate my cat." He huffs out.

"Dustin....." I say, gripping the cellar door handle tightly. He hums. I look over at him, glaring.

"Why didn't you tell me Dart was a baby Demogorgon?!?" I yell, smelling burning metal. His eyes go wide and he starts to freak out. "I didn't know!" He defends.

I groan and tug on my hair, hard. I jump at the smell of burning hair. "Shit, fuck, damn it!" I yell, noticing the burnt strands of hair. "My fucking hair..." I sigh. _Great. Just great._

I try to calm down, cooling down. Still the damage was done. "Sarah?" Dustin asks, cautiously. 

"Hmm?"

"What do we do now?" 

"Lock up the cellar. Get rid of the evidence for Mew's murder." I suggest.

"Who does what?"

"Well, he was your cat, and you were the one who housed Dart, so you bury Mews and clean up the evidence. I'll lock up the cellar. Maybe fix up the mess I call my hair." I say, already walking over to the shed. I hear him more than see him leave. 

I don't hear Dart anymore, so I assume he's given up. The shed's pretty empty, so it's easy to find some chain and a lock. I grab them and take them to the cellar.

I wrap the chain around the handles, sealing it with the lock. _That was easy._ I frown at my singed and uneven hair. _I've never been vain, but even I can't stand my hair like this._

I stomp over to the house, bumping into Dustin. He's holding a trash bag, with Mews in it most likely. He looks so sad. I sigh and stop him, putting my hand on his shoulder. 

"Let me handle the burial. You just worry about the cleaning and getting a hold of the gang. We're gonna need their help." I tell him, taking the bag.

He thanks me and walks back to his room. I look down at the bag sadly. _Poor cat._ I throw the bag over my shoulder and take it out behind the house. There's already a shovel back here.

I drop the bag and pick up the shovel, begining to dig. I make a small, but decently deep, hole. I wipe my forehead as I sweat. I grab Mews and put him in the hole, keeping him in the bag. I bend down and grab the shovel and start to fill the hole back up with dirt.

Once it's filled and the dirt's packed, I drop the shvel and walk back into the house. I hear Dusting talking to someone in his room, but I ignore him. I walk into the kitchen and take the pair of scissors on the counter. I take it with me to the bathroom.

I walk in and turn on the light. I grimace at my reflection. My face is slightly pink and my forehead has dirt on it. My hair has chunks missing from being burnt, one side is longer than the other.

I put the scissors on the sink as I turn the faucet. I wash the dirt and sweat from my face, drying it witha towel. Once finished, I grab the scissors and bring them to my hair.

I gulp as I hear them cut through my long hair. I hadn't had gripped my hair from the bottom, and I wish I did, so I have to cut it really short. I feel hair fall onto me and the floor as I cut away. After a few painful minutes, I finally finish.

I look at my reflection, glaring at my hair. It used to be to the middle of my back, but now it's to my chin. _It looks better than I thought, but that doesn't mean it looks good. I can always fix it after all this shit._ I sigh and put down the scissors, feeling a little lighter.

"Sarah!" Dustin calls from the living room. I poke my head out. "Yeah?"

"They aren't answering so I'm heading to Mike's house to get him." I brush off the hair that fell on my shoulders as I walk out. 

"I'm coming with." I tell him curtly, throwing my jacket off, feeling itchy. He nods, staring at my hair for a few seconds.

I shake my head and walk out the door. I walk over to my car and climb in. "What are you doing?" He asks, holding his bike.

"Getting in my car. You said we were going to Mike's house." 

"No, it'll be easier if we go on our bikes."

"That doesn't make sense. And anyway, I don't have my bike."

"It's here, next to the shed."

"What's my bike doing here Dustin?" I ask, slowly climbing out of my car.

"I may have taken it for an experiment....." He looks off to the side before shaking his head. "Nevermind that. Just hurry up and grab your bike." He says. I jog back over to my shed, and sure enough, my bike's there next to it. _What kind of experiment did he do?_

It looks fine, but I'm still suspicious. I carefully wheel it back over to Dustin. "Before I get on this thing, what did you do to it?" I ask.

"Nothing horrible. Just wanted to see how fast I could go without crashing. I didn't want to mess up my own bike, so I took your's." I scoff. _But that could mean mine's messed up. And why wouldn't you want to mess up your own bike, that's like a rite of passage._

I shake my head and climb on. As soon as I'm seated, Dustin pedals off, leaving me in his dust. I quickly try to follow him, pumping my legs quickly.

Wind blows through my short hair, making it barely fly behind me. It's strange, riding a bike again. It's been a while. It feels a little awkward.

Dustin's pedaling so fast, it's almost too difficult to keep up with him. We turn down the street, riding down Mike's street. Dustin finally slows down as he pulls up to Mike's house. 

I follow his lead and slow down, huffing a little. _Jesus, I'm out of shape!_ Dustin stops, dropping his bike on the ground, but I stay in the drive way. I kick up my stand and lean against the bike, trying to catch my breath.

Dustin looks back at me, waiting. "I'm good. I'll wait here." I tell him, giving him a thumbs up. He nods and jogs up to the door.

He rings the doorbell twice and waits for someone to answer. I sigh and reach into my jean pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. I take one out and put it in my mouth. I shove the pack back into my pocket and look around me, checking to see if there was anyone, before lighting my thumb on fire and lighting the cigarette.

I take a long drag and breathe out slowly, holding the cigarette between my two fingers. I look back over at Dustin, noticing him talking to Mr.Wheeler. I roll my eyes and take another drag. _Ted isn't gonna help. He's useless._

I can't really hear what they're saying, but judging by Dustin's body language, I'm right. I bring the cigarette back up to my mouth, taking in a deep breath. I hold it for a few seconds before doing a trick.

I open my mouth, and several little smoke rings drift out. I smirk at the trick. "You're useless." I hear Dustin say as he walks back over to me.

"He's not here?" I ask, dropping the cigarette. I snuff it out with my shoe. "Nope, and neither is Nancy."

"I'm sorry and I love you..." I hear someone say. Dustin and I look at each other confused. _The hell?_ "Wait, why am I sorry?" I look over at where the voice is coming from, and lo and behold, Steve's here.

He's carrying a bouquet of flowers, talking to himself. _Are those for Nancy? Was he going to take her back?_ I stand up, climbing off my bike, and walk over to him.

"Steve?" He looks up at me, mid rant. 

"Sarah?"

"Are those for Mr. and Mrs.Wheeler?" Dustin butts in sarcastically. Steve looks at him confused, then he looks back at the flowers. "Uh, no." Dustin walks up to him and snatches them out of his hand. "Good."

 _Dustin, what the hell was that?!_ Dustin walks over to Steve's car, opening the passenger door. "We have more important things than your love life." He sasses.

I stifle a laugh. _Jesus Dustin._ Steve looks over at me, and I just shrug. He seems to stare at my hair. I blush and look away.

"Hey Romeo, you still have the bats?" Dustin asks, bringing our attention back to him.

"What bats?"

"The ones with nails and barbed wire?"

"Why?"

"I'll explain it on the way."

"Now?" Steve asks, rushing over to the car. "Now." Dustin replies, getting in the car and closing the door. I follow behind Steve and get in the back of his car. _Where is the day even going?_

Steve starts the car and drives off. The sun starts to set behind us. I lean forward while the boys talk. Dustin starts to tell him everything, with me just listening in the back.

"How big?" Steve asks.

"First it was like this." Dustin says, putting two fingers close to each other. I butt in. "Now he's the size of Chester." He nods, skeptical.

He looks back at the road. "I swear to god, it's just some lizard."

"It's not a lizard."

"How do you know?"

"How do I know if it's not a lizard?"

"Yes, how do you know it's not a lizard?!" They yell. I put my hands in between them, silencing them.

"Boys, stop!" I look over at Steve, trying to convey the seriousness of the situation. "We know because it's face can open up, and it ate his cat." He's quiet, not knowing what to say. Can't blame him. What can you say to something like that?

He pulls up to Dustin's house, parking in the empty driveway. _Ms.Henderson is still looking?_ We all get out and go to Steve's trunk.

He unlocks it and pulls it open, revealing the two bats. "So,you just causally keep these bats in here?" I ask, grabbing my old one. He doesn't respond, just grabs the one with the nails.

I shake my head and look around. _It's pretty dark out. We'll need some flashlights._ I look back at the boys, holding up a finger. "Wait right here guys, I'll be right back." They nod and I leave.

I jog over to my car, which isn't too far, and pull out my keys. I unlock my trunk and pop it open. I rifle around the trunk until I finally find a flashlight. _Got'cha!_

I grab it and move back, closing and locking the trunk. I jog back over to Steve and Dustin, and turn on the flashlight, accidentally blinding them.

"Sorry." I apologize, pointing it at the ground

"Why do you have a flashlight in your car?" Steve asks.

"The same reason you have two bats." I remark, rolling my eyes. I hear him laugh, making me smile. I shake my head, trying to focus on the task at hand, and lead them to the cellar.

It's errily quiet. Steve hits the doors lightly, and then again with more force. Still, there's no sound. "I don't hear anything." He says as I hand him the flashlight. 

"Oh, he's in there." Dustin and I say at the same time. Steve groans, obviously tired, and shines the flashlight in Dustin's face. "I swear, if this is some Halloween prank..."

"It's not."

"You're dead."

"It's not!"

"Steve, stop shining the light in his face." I say, smacking his arm away. He obliges and points it back at the cellar. He sighs. "You got a key for this thing?" He asks. Dustin nods and runs off, leaving Steve and I alone.

I sit down on the grass, picking at the barbed wire. I'm careful not to cut myself. "It looks nice." Steve says suddenly, making me look up at him.

"Huh?" I cock my head to the side, confused.

"Th-the hair. It looks nice. Why'd you cut it?" He asks, sitting down next to me. I blush at the compliment and look away.

"I, uh, had a little melt down. I burnt it, so I had to cut it to fix it." I explain, feeling embarressed. He nods and hums.

"Why were you at Nancy's?" I ask now. He flinches. _I know it's a weird question, but I wanna know._

"I....don't know. Just felt like I had to." He sighs. I go to ask him what he meant by that, but Dustin comes back with the key. I'll ask him to elaborate later. I push myself off the ground, and help Steve up.

Steve snatches the key out of Dustin's hand and unlocks the cellar. He violently throws open the door. I pick up my bat and raise it, ready for anything.

I look over Steve's shoulder and see nothing. The cellar's empty. "he must be further down." Dustin whispers, holding onto the open door tightly.

"I-I'll stay up here, in case he tries to escape." Steve and I look at him, unimpressed. I roll my eyes, smiling a little and step into the cellar, not waiting for Steve. I see the beam of light go over my shoulder, indicating that he's following me.

I carefully walk down the steps, holding one hand out. I can't see anything in the low light. Steve moves the flashlight around so we can see, but still no Dart. He sweeps it across the room again, revealing a ceiling light.

I walk towards it, pulling the chain, and light floods the cellar. I squint at the sudden brightness. "What's that?" Steve asks, pointing at something on the floor.

I look at whatever he's pointing at and suppress the urge to vomit. It's a pile of molted skin, and it's still slimy. _He grew. Again. How big is he now?_

"Steve? Sarah?" Dustin calls from the cellar entrance. Steve picks up the molted skin with the bat and walks over to the entrance. I stay down here and look around for Dart some more. _He's not in here, how did he get out?_ The huge hole in the wall answers my question. "Shit." I hear Dustin say.

I look over my shoulder and see Steve showing Dustin the skin. "I got something over here." I tell him, pointing at the hole in the wall.

He rushes over to me, muttering under his breath. I crouch down and look into the tunnel. _It's like the ones in Will's drawings. Is this one of them?_ Steve and Dustin crouch down next to me.

Even with Steve pointing the flashlight at the tunnel, it doesn't get very far. I sigh and light my finger on fire, making them back up. I flick my finger, sending it flying far down the tunnel, but it never seems to end.

"Holy shit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N
> 
> Hey guys, I'm not dead! I know it's been 40,000 years, but guess who finally found free time! School's been hectic, so I was never able to get to writing. I'm going to try to stick to a schedule, so you can look forward to at least one chapter per week since these are getting longer. If I don't go by that schedule, I give you guys full permission to scold me. Anyway, what do you think of her new look? What do you think is going on with her? And of course, what did you think of the chapter over all? Stay curious!~Lunar


	31. Setting Up the Trap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Dart's missing, Sarah, Dustin, and Steve have to set up a trap to catch him. Sounds easy right? What could go wrong?

**Sarah's POV**

We waited until the next day to start setting the trap. We slept over at Dustin's house, him taking his room and Steve and I sleeping in the living room.

When the sun starts to rise, so do we. We all get up and make a plan. "So we need to find that thing. How?" Steve asks. I grab my jacket from the floor and pull it one, feeling a small headache start to grow.

"Well, it won't taste like cat, but we need to get a lot of meat. Make a trail." I suggest, moving my hair behind my ear. I frown. _I miss my old hair._ I grab my bat and swing it around, practicing. 

"How are we gonna get that?"

"The butcher shop. Obviously." I roll my eyes.

**Time Skip**

I groan as I take one of the buckets filled with diced meat out of Steve's trunk. As I strain to carry it, my headache pulses, sending a sharp pain through my temples. I wince and bite my lip. _C'mon, just get through the fucking day without a freak out happening for once._

I drop the bucket on the ground, grimacing at the raw meat. I look over at Steve, who's getting the other buckets. I smile a little. _He didn't have to help us, but he is._

"Well well well, look who it is." Dustin says, putting down his bucket. I look over at him, raising an eyebrow. He puts his hands on his hips, back turned away from us. 

"My stupid sister turned it off." Lucas's voice rings out. _Oh, his head set. Forgot about that_. I turn back to my bucket and lift it, straining a little. I sigh through my nose roughly, biting on my lip a little. 

"Well while you were having sister problems, Dart grew again, he escaped, and we're pretty sure he's a baby demogorgon."

"We? What?"

"Sarah and I. I'll explain everything later. Meet Sarah, Steve, and I at the old junkyard."

"Steve?"

"And bring your binoculars and wrist rocket."

"Steve Harrington?"

I close the trunk while Steve puts on his backpack. "All right, let's go." Steve says, grabbing the last bucket and the canister of gasoline. I follow Steve to the abandoned train tracks, hearing Dustin run up to us.

We walk a little further into into the woods until we come across the tracks. We walk along them, throwing pieces of meat along behind us.

Steve and Dustin walk in front of me. I pull out some meat and toss it behind me as I listen to the two of them talk.

"All right, so let me get this straight. You kept something you knew was probably dangerous in order to impress a girl who...who you just met?" Steve asks. I nod along to his question, also confused. 

Dustin sighs and throws some meat ahead of him. "That's grossly oversimplifying things."

"I mean, why would a girl like a nasty slug?" 

"An interdimensional slug? Because it's awesome. Right Sarah?" Dustin asks, looking back at me. I shake my head, laughing a little. "Yeah no, Dusty. Girls don't really like slugs."

Dustin sighs and turns back to the tracks ahead of him, throwing more meat. I reach into my bucket and toss some more meat behind me. 

I feel a zing go through my temples, making me stop for a second and hold my head. _My headache is just getting worse._ It hurts so bad that I have to close my eyes to try to mae the pain go away.

I breathe out my nose very slowly, opening my eyes, but it doesn't help. Now my eyes are blurry. I blink my eyes, trying to make the blurriness go away, and continue walking, but a little slower this time.

"Well not everyone can have your perfect hair." Dustin says, making me look up. _What's going on now?_ Now, Dustin and Steve are walking side by side. Steve sighs.

"It's not about the hair. The key with girls is just...just acting like you don't care." 

"Even if you do?" Dustin asks.

"Yeah, exactly. It drives them nuts."

I scoff and speak up. "Dustin, don't listen to him. That'll just make us hate you." I shake my head. They ignore me. _Great, listen to the guy who can't flirt to save his life and not the girl, who knows what she's talking about because she's a girl._

I groan. The headache comes back again, making me stumble. _Shit!_ I put my arm out, trying to steady myself. I feel my nose start to bleed. I raise my hand, wiping the blood away. _What the fuck is going on now?_

**Steve's POV**

"And then you make your move." The leaves crunch under our feet as we throw meat ahead of us.

"And that's when you kiss her?" Dustin asks, making me put my hand out and shake my head.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Slow down, Romeo. Sure okay, some girls, yeah. They want you to be agressive. You now, strong, hot and heavy, like a.... I don't now, like a lion." Dustin nods along. "But others, you gotta be slow, you gotta be stealthy, like a...like a ninja."

"What type is Sarah?"

"What?" I ask, dropping some meat back in the bucket. He shrugs. "What type is Sarah? You like her, don't you?"

I shake my head and look behind us to see if the girl in question is listening. She's behind us quite a bit, and she isn't even looking at us. She's looking at something on her finger.

I look back at Dustin and clear my throat. "Of course I like her, she's my best friend. I don't now what type she is. She's a mystery." I say, looing down at the ground.

"So she's special?"

"Yeah, she's really special."

"But this girl's special too, you now. It's just, like, something about her." He looks ahead, looking dazed and smiling. I've seen that look before, I've worn that look myself.

Dustin reminds me of myself, so I get this protective feeling when I notice his look. I hit his arm, making him stop. "Whoa, hey. You're not falling in love with this girl, are you?"

He blushes and shakes his head vigorously. "No, no."

"Okay good. Don't." I tell him as we start to walk again. "I won't." He reassures me. 

"She's only gonna break your heart, and you're way too young for that shit." Suddenly, I feel something hit the back of my head. 

"Hey losers, what's going on?"

**Sarah's POV**

"Hey losers, what's going on?" I call, trying to catch up. The headache finally lessened a little, to a bareable pain. I still feel a small bit of blood coming out of my nose, but I don't feel as dizzy anymore.

They both look back at me, Steve holding his head where I hit him. "Are you still giving him terrible advice?" I tease.

They both look awkward. _What did I miss?_ They keep walking, Dustin looking a little sad. Neither of them talk for a while.

"Faberge." Steve says suddenly.

"What?"

Steve points at his hair, almost in shame. "It's Faberge Organics." _Oh yeah, his hair products._ I giggle under my breath, shaking my head. "Use the shampoo and conditioner, and when your hair's damp, it's not wet okay? When it's damp." Steve informs Dustin.

Dustin's hanging on every word. He's nodding along, and I can just see him taking notes in his head. "Damp." He repeats.

"You do four puffs of the Farrah Fawcett spray."

"Farrah Fawcett spray?" Dustin teases.

I watch them stop, so I try to walk a little closer to them, but the headache comes back with a vengence. I wince, biting into my lip so hard I can taste blood. 

Instead of the normal stinging feeling, it just feels like my head is pulsing. It's like I can hear my heartbeat in my head, but magnifyed by 100. 

There's also a ringing in my ears. The ringing is just so loud. The headache doubled with the ringing makes me feel like I'm about to pass out. Suddenly, I feel something wet drip out of my ears.

I gasp quietly. My vision blurs and tilts a little. I bring one shaky hand up to my ear. I feel something wet and warm on my fingers.

When I pull my hand back, two fingers are coated in crimson blood. I drop my bucket. "G-guys..." I mumble, shaking.

"Yeah Sarah?" I hear Steve say. I gulp as the world starts to spin. I hear them rush to me as my eyes roll into the back of my head.

My eyes flutter shut and I feel myself fall onto the floor. _Wait, how am I still concious?_ I groan out in pain, flexing my hand. _The ground feels different._ Instead of the feeling of the tracks and dirt, the floor is completely smooth. 

I feel the headache die completely. The ringing fades away. "Breathe Marissa, breathe." A man says. I push my shaky arms under my body, trying to push myself up. _Marissa? Why another vision?_

I grimace as my arms shake. I push my torso up, looking up around me. I'm in one of the rooms at the lab. Instead of it being abandoned lie it is now, it's full of people, mainly doctors.

On a bed in the center is Marissa, legs spread under a sheet. She's crying and screaming. _Marissa's pregnant? That must've been what she was nervous to tell someone._ I muster up all of my strength and push myself up fully. I slowly stand up, holding onto the table next to me.

"One more push!" One doctor yells at her. Her face turns red as she pushes. Suddenly, she's not the only one screaming. A shrill scream cuts through the room. A doctor takes a step back, holding a tiny baby.

 _It's a girl._ I peer over at the doctors, but their back is to me. They're talking to other doctors, doing something to the baby. **(I don't know what they do, please bare with me.)**

"Give her back! Leave her alone! Give me my baby!" Marissa screams. She sounds completely terrified and heartbroken. _She knows they're going to do something to the baby. I wish I could do something, but this is just a vision._

The baby's cries rival Marissa's, like they're competing to see who will be louder. I walk over to the doctors, peering over their shoulders so I can look at the baby. The baby's face is bright red along with her body.

The doctors are doing nothing but stare at her, not bothering to calm her down. Suddenly, there's a hissing sound. I take a step back, feeling my blood run cold. The metal table underneath the baby's starts to melt, making the baby sink a little. One of the doctors picks her up, wearing gloves.

 _That...that can't be..._ The doctor holding the little baby turns to the others. "This is the third one just like this."

It's like I had all the air punched right out of me. _Third one?_ I look down at my wrist, eyes growing wider as I look at the scar.

_003..._

_"Third one just like this."_

_Body able to melt the metal table...._

_"Give her back! Leave her alone! Give me my baby!"_

_"My baby!"_

"Holy shit...th-that's me." The room starts to spin again, making me stumble back. I close my eyes tightly. _'I'm sorry you had to find out this way.'_ Marissa says, her voice echoing around my head. _Leave me alone!_ I feel like I want to cry.

She doesn't speak again. I try to breathe. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to calm down. I breathe slowly.

_In..._

_Out...._

_In...._

_Out..._

_In._

_Out._

"Holy shit, she's dead!" Someone yells. I flinch. I'm no longer standing, I'm on the ground. _Shit, I'm back._ I can hear Steve and Dustin yelling back and forth.

"She's not dead! She's obviously breathing!" Steve says.

"What if she's dying?! There's blood coming out of her ears!"

"Maybe that's what happens when she uses her powers!"

"I'm not dead, idiots." I say through my teeth, opening my eyes a little. I wince and make my eyes into slits at the harshness of the sunlight.

I stick my arms out, making grabby hands. Steve grabs my arms and helps me up. "What the hell happened?!?!" Dustin freaks out.

"Just a freak out." I try to brush off.

"That was not a freak out! You passed out!" Steve nods along, looking just as concerned as Dustin. 

"I'll explain later. I got a lot to think about."I say, looking for my bucket. It's on its side, spilled all over the tracks. "Shit. The meat..." I sigh.

"Sarah, we need to talk about this." Steve says, grabbing my elbow. I look back at him, blushing slightly at his concerned look.

I look down and sigh. "Fine." I start to walk, waiting for them to follow. I hear them follow behind me.

"I've been having some weird shit happening to me. It's just been effecting me more than it used to, that's it." I explain curtly, leaving out basically everything. _They don't need to know. I'll tell them some other time. Maybe when I find out what happened to my mom. God, it's weird to call her that. But seriously, that couldn't have been the whole story._

"But there's gotta be more." Dustin says, urging me to say more. " Dustin, please stop pushing. I'll tell you both later, let's just finish this trap." I snap at him.

Luckily, he gives up. It's silent the rest of the way to the junkyard.

**Time Skip**

Steve and Dustin dump the rest of the meat in a pile in the middle of the junkyard.

"I said medium-well!" Lucas's voice rings through the entire junkyard. We look up at the hill, spotting Lucas. He's accompanied by Max. Lucas is waving down at us while Max is just smiling.

"Who's that?" Steve asks. I go to answer, looking over at him, but I stop when I notice Dustin's face. He looks hurt, maybe even crushed. I look back at the two coming down the hill, putting two and two together. _Poor Dustin._

We meet Lucas and Max in the middle. "C'mon, lets get the bus ready." I say, taking Max's hand. She lets me take her.

"We just need to cover up any windows and openings with metal." I tell her, picking up some scraps. She nods and goes searching.

I pick up a few sheets of metal and put them against the bus. I pick one up and heat up my hand. I stare at my hand, remembering the vision.

I shake my head, getting rid of the weird feeling. I press the sheet against the window and press my heated hand against it, welding it on there.

"Holy shit, what happened here?" Max asks. I look over at what she's looking at and spot a giant sheet of metal with a few scortch marks on it. 

_I feel my body growing hotter and hotter because of my frustration, and I have to release it somehow._

_I channel all of the anger and heat into my hand to create a ball of fire. I scream in anger and throw it at the metal sheet. It doesn't help. So I make another fire ball and do it again. And again and again. By the time I finish, the sheet metal is smoldering. I'm huffing and puffing, but I feel better._

_Oh yeah, forgot about that._ I walk over to her, looking embarressed. "I did that last year."

"So you're an arsonist?" She asks, looking nervous.

I smile and chuckle under my breath. "You could say that." We continue to bring sheet metal over to the bus, but I start to notice a lack of helping hands. Dustin and Lucas aren't helping.

I look around the junkyard, looking for the two boys. I notice Steve looking at something behind a trashed car, seemingly talking to it. _Guess he found them._ I turn back to the bus.

_Better get back to work._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So now the truth has been revealed, Marissa is Sarah's mom. How many of y'all saw that coming? Yeah, I'm not that slick myself. Do you think she's ever going to tell anyone about what's happening to her? Now there is still some more stuff for Sarah to find out, so stay tuned for more life threatening visions! Also, tell me what you thought about the chapter in general! Stay Curious!~Lunar


	32. Almost Eaten By Demodogs

**Sarah's POV**

"So, you guys have fought this thing before?" Max asks. I look over at her from my spot on the ground and nod. I see Steve do the same. He flicks his lighter back and forth, lighting it over and over. _Don't know why he needs it, I could just light the pile on fire myself._

"And you're 100% sure it wasn't a bear?" She asks, rightfully skeptical. I go to answer, reaching over to stop Steve from flicking his lighter more since the sound got annoying, but Dustin responds first.

I stop, arm extended, as he snaps. "Shit, don't be an idiot. It wasn't a bear, okay?" I look over at Steve and his eyes are just as wide as mine. _Holy crap._ Max looks surprised, going far enough to lean back a little. "Why are you even here if you don't believe us?" Dustin scoffs.

"Just go home."

Max, after recovering from his sudden outburst, rolls her eyes and stands up, walking over to the ladder. "Yeesh, someone's cranky. Past your bedtime?" Dustin paces as she climbs up.

I sigh, letting my arm drop as I shake my head, and stand up. "I'll go check on her and Lucas." I tell them as I climb up the ladder.

The wind flows through my hair as I climb onto the roof of the bus. Max and Lucas are sitting next to one another. "Sup guys. How's the life of the Roofers?" I joke, pulling myself up on one of the tires.

"The Roofers?" Lucas asks. I shrug. "I dunno." Max and Lucas laugh and turn back to the junkyard ahead of us. Max sighs, smiling.

"It's kind of awesome."

"Huh?"

"The fog. Looks like the ocean."

"You miss it? The ocean. The waves? California?" Lucas asks. _California? Oh right, she's Billy's sister and he's made that comment about California girls_. Max looks sad and a little shocked. "Hawkins seems pretty lame, I bet." Lucas laughs.

I nod my head, leaning back on my hands. Max seems to shrink a little. "No it's not that. It's just.....my dad's still there." _Poor kid. Maybe I should leave, let them have their private conversation. Well, it's either go back down and deal with Dustin being jealous, because he obviously is, or stay here with the love birds and keep watch for Dart. I think I'll take curtain number 2._

"Why?"

"It's called divorce." I say, finally speaking up. Max blushes, embarressed. "I-I uh..." She stutters. I put my hand on her arm, stopping her. "Hey, I'm here to help if you need me. If you guys want me to leave, I will." I tell them, trying not to make Max uncomfortable. She looks at me, and after a few seconds, he shakes her head, blush going away. 

"It's, uh, it's fine. I guess." She says. She turns away from both of us, looking over at the junkyard. She sighs before she starts talking. "My mom and stepdad, they wanted a fresh start away from him. As if he was the problem, with is total bullshit." She clenches her fists and furrow her brow.

"Things....are just worse now. My stepbrother's always been a dick, but now he's just angry all the time and. Well, he can't take it out on my mom, so..." She trails off, her voice growing thick.

I lean forward a little. "Fucking hell Billy. He takes it out on you?" I ask, with Lucas saying the second part as well. She looks at us, shocked and a little aprehensive. She shakes her head, laughing a little, but there's no humor in her laugh. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. It's just...I know I can be a jerk like him sometimes, and I do not want to be like him. Ever. I guess, I'm angry too...I'm sorry." She finishes, looking straight at Lucas. _Yup, definately Love birds._

They stare into each other's eyes for a while before Max breaks eye contact to laugh again and wipe her eyes. "Jesus! What's wrong with me?" I go to comfort her, but Lucas beats me to it. _Man, I'm just slow as hell today, huh._

"Hey, you're nothing like your brother. You're cool and different. And you're super smart. And you're like, totally tubular!" He jokes at the end, putting his hands up and making her laugh.

"Nobody actually says that you know."

"Well, I do now."

"And it makes you seem really cool."

"I like talking with you, Mad Max."

"And I like talking to you, Stalker." They stare into each other's eyes, making me fake gag jokingly. They look back at me, a if remembering that I'm here, and blush brightly. I roll my eyes and lean back again.

"Jesus, you two need better nicknames. And you're both so sweet, it makes me sick." They laugh at my silliness. I smile and turn to Max, serious now despite my smile. "Hey Max, if Billy ever bother you again, just call me. I'll burn his ass."

"Right. Thanks arsonist." I smile at the nickname. Suddenly, a chill run up my spine, making me shudder. I stand up, careful not to slip, and walk closer to the edge of our tire circle. "Sarah?" Lucas asks.

I shush him, putting an arm behind me. It's like there's a shift in the air, making me react this way. Finally, I feel something different. Like something's there. "Get in the bus..." I tell them.

"What?"

"Get in the bus." I say, turning to look at them. Just as I say that, a shrill roar cuts through the otherwise quiet junkyard. There's more, just like the first one, following the lead and roaring as well. _There's more than one?!_ I push them down the ladder, following behind them.

Steve and Dustin stand by the window, looking through the slats. "Straight ahead." Steve points out. 

"You're sure that's not a dog?" Max asks, freaking out a little. We ignore her question, opting to look out the windows.

I crouch down a bit and narrow my eyes, trying to see Dart better. The fog around the bait is so thick, I can barely see a thing. "He's not taking the bait. Why's he not taking the bait?" Steve asks, huffing slightly.

"Maybe he's not hungry?" Dustin suggests.

"Maybe he's sick of cow." I say, shrugging a I turn to them. Steve looks at me, like he's planning something. _Don't tell me he's thinking what I think he's thinking_. He steps away from the window, walking over to the bus doors. "Steve. Steve, what are you doing?" Dustin asks, voice raising at the end.

Steve turns around, pulling out his lighter. "Steve..." I warn, taking a step towards him. He tosses the lighter to Dustin, picking up his bat. "Just get ready." That's all he says before he starts opening the bus door.

"Steve." I say a little louder. I walk over to him quickly and grab his arm. "Are you crazy?" He looks at me, expression softening. "I'll be fine Sarah. Trust me."

I look him in the eyes, trying to see how he's really feeling, but there's barely any fear in his eyes. I sigh and let go of his arm, taking his free hand instead. "Just....just don't get yourself killed, alright?"

"I won't. Promise." I know I need to get back in the bus with the others, but something comes over me. I stretch up on my toes and place a small kiss on his cheek. I blush brightly as I drop back down. "You better keep that promise Harrington." I say before finally going back into the bus. 

_Did I seriously do that?!? Why?!? Jesus, I'm so stupid. What the hell even came over me?!?_ I brush my hand through my hair and go back to the windows. "What was that?" Dustin asks from behind me. I jump in surprise, placing my hand on my beating heart.

"Wh-what was what?" I ask, nervously laughing. He looks at me like I'm stupid. "The kiss. You kissed Steve."

"So? It was just a peck on the cheek. Shouldn't we be paying attention to what's going on out there?" I ask, rushing through every word nervously.

I hear him laugh as I turn back to the window, my ears burning brightly. I watch Steve walk over to the bait pile, keeping his bat raised as he whistles. "Come on, buddy."

He swings the bat slowly. "What's he doing?" Max asks, rushing to the windows.

"Expanding the menu." Dustin and I say quietly.

"Come on, dinner time. Humans taste better than cat, I promise." He tries to lure Dart, making me shake my head. _Jesus, you beautiful idiot. Don't get yourself killed._

Dart's growling gets louder the closer Steve gets to the edge of the fog. "He's insane."

"He's awesome."

"He's dead."

I back away from the window and turn to the ladder. _I know Dart's out there, but where the hell are the others?_ I pull myself up onto the roof of the bus. 

The wind blows my hair behind me as I look around the junk yard. "Where are you, you freaky little monsters?" I mutter, quickly lighting my hand on fire. 

Steve, oblivious as ever, just stares ahead of him. Finally, the fog clears, revealing Dart, his yellow marking on his lower back seemingly glowing. But with the dissapation of fog, the other baby demogorgons are revealed. _They look like dogs. Demodogs. That's much easier._

One of the demodogs gets too close to Steve, growling and alerting Steve of it's presence. I quickly rear my arm back and throw the ball of fire at the demodog. 

It hits it exactly. Steve jumps back a little, looking up at me. "You made a promise Harrington, and I don't intend on letting you break it." I shout, lighting my hand on fire again.

"Steve! Abort! Abort!" Dustin yells from the bus doors. The demodogs jump into action, trying to attack Steve, but he moves out of the way. I throw a few more fire balls at the demodogs trying to help him get away.

Steve's running to the bus and the demodogs are hot on his tail. He manages to get in and slam the door closed with a loud bang. I quickly follow his lead and climb back into the bus. 

"They can't get in!" Lucas yells, huddled up to everyone. I run over to Steve and help him press a sheet of metal against the door.

I heat up my hand, ready to weld the metal to the door, but the bus suddenly starts to shake with the demodogs throwing themselves at the bus.

"Fuck!" I cry out as I fall back. I anticipate the hard floor, but it never comes. I look up and see Steve's face. I feel his arms under my armpits. I blush at the contact. I go to say something, but the bus starts shaking even more. The kids all scream as we're jostled around.

Suddenly, the demodogs start to break into the bus. "Move move move!!!" I yell, pushing the kids away from the door. I rush back to Steve pushing him as well as I light my hand on fire again and burn the demodogs that are trying to get in.

The whimper in pain and retreat, but they're just replaced by others. "How did she do that?!?" I hear Max scream.

"Now's not the time!" I yell at her. I'm pushed back by Steve, who starts hitting the demodog with his bat. I move over to the kids and keep them in the back corner.

"Will, Mike, God, anyone! Is anyone there?! We're at the old junkyard and we are going to die!" Dustin screams into his headset. Suddenly, it goes quiet. The demodogs stop shaking the bus.

I move away from the back corner, looking around, confused. _Where did they go?_ The banging on the roof answers my question. _I just had to ask._

I look up, seeing the impression in the ceiling. I back up and look up at the opening. Slowly, one paw moves into view, revealing the rest of the demodog. Open flower mouth and all. I hear a scream behind me. I quickly turn around and notice the others behind me.

I quickly push them away, trying to protect them. Steve rushes in front of me, bat raised and yelling. "You want some? Come get this!" The demodog leans down, getting closer.

I feel some new feeling wash over me like a wave. I feel a tightness around my eyes. I roughly push Steve behind once again and light my right hand on fire. But intead of frying the bitch, I do something that even surprises me.

I growl. Not like a dog growl, but like the sounds the demodogs make, the chittering one. The demodog seems to back off a little, almost in fear, before rearing it's head to the side, hearing something. 

I hear it too. It's a shrill cry, almost like a call. It gets the demodog to roar out to the others and move back, and it knocks me out of whatever I was in. 

I stumble back as they leave. My fire sputter out until it's fully extinguished. _The fuck just happened?! How the hell did I do that?_ I walk backwards until I get near the door.

Ignoring the others' stares, I push open the door and stumble out of the bus. All the demodogs are gone. 

"They're gone... You scared them." Lucas breathes out from behind me.

"No I didn't. They were called." I shake my head.

"How do you know?" Max asks.

"I heard it." I turn back to them. Lucas and Max gasp, backing a little. "What's wrong?" I ask, confused as hell.

"Your eyes..." Dustin starts.

"What about them?"

"Their slits. Like a cat's." Steve finishes. _Like a cat's?_ Slowly, I feel the tightness around my eyes go away. "They're back to normal now." He says, amazed.

I shake my head and rub my eyes. "I don't know why they did that, and before you ask, I don't know why I made that sound either. All I know is that those things were called somewhere and we need to follow them." I say quickly as I walk in the direction the call came from.

I don't hear them follow. I sigh and look back at them. "That was kind of our cue to leave. I'll explain some shit on the way, but we need to get going." They nod and follow me back into the woods.

"So, what happened in the bus?" Dustin gets straight to the point.

"Don't know. I'm still trying to figure that out."

"How can you light your hand on fire?!" Max exclaims.

"Born with them. I've been able to do that for years. I'm also able to make water shoot out of my hands."

"Was the stuff in the bus linked to you passing out?"

"Most likely."

"You passed out?!"

"Yup. A lot more likely than you think." I push past branches, trying to find any hint of where the demodogs went. I can't hear the call anymore, so I can't rely on that.

After a few minutes, we switch up the order in where we are in the group. Now Max, Dustin, and Lucas are in the front while Steve and I take the rear.

I wrap my arms around my body, trying to heat up since it's gotten colder. Plus, it also acts like comfort. "You okay?" I hear Steve ask.

"I should be asking you the same thing. You're the one who went out there to act as bait." I laugh, rubbing my arms. He just nods, causing an awkward air between us. _This is weird. It's never awkward between us._ I sigh and look back at him.

"I saw something."

"What?"

"When I passed out, I saw something." _I have to tell someone about this, and the best person to tell is Steve_. I breathe heavily before telling him everything, well, almost everything. "It was like a memory, but someone else's. It was a woman named Marissa Stern. She was being held in the lab, giving birth."

"Why'd you see that?"

"To find out something, I guess."

"Find out what?"

"I-" I'm interrupted by Dustin. _Saved by the bell I guess._ "When he does, he'll be fully grown or close to it. And so will his friends." Steve, catching on in their conversation, makes a comment.

"Yeah, and he's gonna eat a lot more than just cats."

"Wait, a cat?" Lucas yells, grabbing Dustin's shoulder and stopping him. _Shit, he didn't know._

"No, what cat?" Dustin lies, shaking his head.

"What are you talking about? He ate Mews." I smack Steve in the stomach, trying to make him read the situation.

"Steve!"

"I knew it! You kept him!"

"No! No I...no I..." Lucas stares at him, making him break. "He missed me. He wanted to come home."

"Bullshit."

"I didn't know he was a demogorgon, okay?"

"Oh, so now you admit it?"

"Guys, who cares? We have to go?" Max tries to intervene, but the just keep fighting, now roping her into it. I move to intervene, but a sudden sound stops me. The sound of demodogs growling. 

I walk farther into the woods, and I almost leave the group, but Steve grabs my hand, preventing me from leaving. "Guys?" He calls, but they're still fighting.

"Guys!" I yell, silencing them. A loud cry, loud enough for them to hear, cuts through the woods. I perk up and start to walk, hearing the others follow. As I follow the sounds, I look down and remember Steve's hand in mine.

I blush, but instead of taking my hand out of his, I just squeeze his. I feel him squeeze mine in return, making me smile. We rush through the woods, coming to a clearing. It gives us a nice view of Hawkins.

"Where can they be?" Dustin whispers, looking around. Lucas pulls out his binoculars. 

"They're going back home." He says quietly, making me squeeze Steve's hand tightly. _The lab....why is it always the lab?_ Everyone's quiet and I notice that they're all staring at me. _Are they waiting for me?_

"Let's go." I sigh, walking down the hill and returning to the woods. We walk for what feels like hours, my nerves flying through the roof. _I'm surprised I haven't started a forest fire yet._ I try to breathe, and with Steve still holding my hand, it makes it easier to calm down.

After a while, the trees start to clear a little, making it obvious we're getting closer to another clearing.

"Hello? Who's there?" We hear someone yell. _Johnathan? If we're at the lab, why is he not in there?_ I pull Steve along and walk out of the woods. 

The lab stands tall against the trees. Near the gate, I can see Nancy and Johnathan standing close together. 

"Steve?"

"Nancy?"

"Sarah?"

"Johnathan?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at them! Holding hands! Now Sarah's acting like the demodogs, chittering, having cat like eyes, and hearing the calls, why do you think that's happening? Does it have something to do with her mom? Did the lab cause this? Was this even caused by her mystery father? Or maybe it's just the random idea of a sleep deprived author, who knows? Hope y'all liked this one, and tell me what y'all thought. Stay Curious!~Lunar


	33. The Lab

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why does it always come back to the lab?

**Sarah's POV**

"What are you doing here?" Nancy asks, stepping closer to us. I let go of Steve's hand and meet her in the middle. "What are you doing here?" I counter.

"We're looking for Mike and Will." I stiffen, feeling my hands shake. "They're not in there, are they?" I ask as I point at the lab. She shakes her head. "We're not sure. Why?"

I move to respond, but something else answers. A loud demonic screetch fills the quiet area, making us all look at the lab. "Are you sure he's in there?" Johnathan asks. We all huddle up in a circle.

"Most likely. He was with Mom last I saw him." I tell him, running my hand through my hair nervously. We all start talking at once, trying to remember the last time we saw him.

I'm standing next to Nancy, both of us facing the lab. Everyone's voices begin to mix. Suddenly, Nancy starts to walk away, getting closer to the lab. "The power's back." She yells at us. We all look at the lab, seeing every window lit up, then back at each other.

"The gate." I whisper. Johnathan runs over to the guard's station out in front of the gate, with the rest of us following. He gets there first and starts pressing buttons. It doesn't work.

"Let me try." Dustin says as he pushes him out of the box. It still doesn't work. "Son of a bitch." He says, hitting the button harder.

I sigh and turn back to face the gate. It looms over me like a monster, making a chill go down my spine. Despite that feeling, I walk closer to it. 

_Just burn it down. Simple right?_ I clench my hands, desperately trying to heat them up, but it doesn't work. _Please, I can't freeze up now!_ I clench harder, and smile at the small licks of heat that reach my fists.

I open my hands and grab the bars on the gate. I try to push the heat out of my hands, but it doesn't want to leave. It just slowly disappears back into my body. I grunt and shake the bars in frustration. "Shit!" I hiss under my breath.

"Well, you gonna do it or what?" I hear Johnathan ask from behind me. I turn around, only holding the gate with one hand. "What?"

"Burn down the gate?"

"I can't."

"Why not? It's easy."

"It's not as easy as it seems, Johnthan."

"What's so hard about it? It's burning down a gate?" He pushes. I sigh and shake my head. "There's more to it than that." He scoffs and roll his eyes. I let go of the gate and start to walk back to the box. "I don't want to explain this." I feel him grab my shoulder, stopping me. "Why not?"

"You now why."

"That's the thing! We don't know! You don't tell us anything. You've been keeping everything to yourself this entire year. None of us even know why you aren't allowed here!" I push his hand off my shoulder and turn to look at him, glaring.

"I don't tell you because it doesn't pertain to you." I say lowly. He rolls his eyes. "Of course it pertains to us, we're your family. You're supposed to tell us this kind of stuff."

"Johnathan, maybe we shouldn't push her." Nancy tries to convince Johnathan, but I put my hand out to stop her.

"No Nance, he's right. I'm supposed to have no secrets and just pour out all my problems to you guys. Well, you wanna hear my secret? I'm scared, terrified even! I can't use my powers because they just shut down when I'm anywhere near this place. My powers don't work at all when I'm scared."

"Why does this place scare you so much?" A new voice joins. I look behind me and spot Max's confused face. My glare softens and I sigh, trying to calm down. I take a step back and wipe my face, now noticing the tears falling down silently. 

"Because I was raised here, Max. They did horrible things to me in there. They would run tests on kids, and I was one of them. The branded us for God's sake! They didn't bother naming us, so they branded us instead." I huff out, thrusting my wrist out for everyone to see. They all grimace at the number. "Exactly." I hiss, grabbing my wrist and rubbing it raw.

I breathe deeply and look back at Johnathan. "So that's why I can't burn down the stupid gate. And now you know about what happened here. You happy?"

"Sarah, I didn't mean to-" Johnathan starts, but I interrupt him. "To push? Yeah well, you did it anyway." I turn around and walk over to the guard's station. 

_Jesus Christ, what is going on with me? I've just been snapping at Johnathan so much. He didn't deserve that, I overreacted. He has a point too, I don't share that much._ I feel a few tears fall down my face as I sink down onto the ground, back to the guard's station.

I tuck my knees under my chin as I cry. My hands shake. I sniffle a little and wipe my face, hearing someone walk over to me. "Sarah? You okay?" It's Steve. _It's always Steve._

I want to tell him I'm fine, I really do, but I barely have any energy left in me. "I'm not okay Steve. I haven't been okay for a while." I admit, looking at the ground. I hear him sigh and I see him crouch down in the corner of my eye.

"You wanna talk about it?" I look over at him, and his warm look makes me crack. I nod as more tears fall, like a waterfall. "Wh-where do I begin? My brother's possessed by something, we have baby demogorgons on the loose, and to top it all off, I don't even know who I am anymore!" I cry, pulling at my hair.

He reaches over and takes my hands, making me let go of my hair. "We can fix the problem with your brother and the demogorgons, but what did you mean by that last thing?"

His calm tone makes me cry even more, but luckily I'm not sniffling. I look away and try to take my hands out of his, but he holds them tight. "N-nothing. Just the stress getting to me."

"Sarah, I know when you're lying. What did you mean?"

I look him in the eyes and sigh heavily, bowing my head. "Fine, but you can't tell anyone, please!"

"Promise."

"I-I've been having these strange things happening to me. First, they were just nightmares, but now they're happening during the day. When I passed out earlier, that wasn't the first time something like that's happening. Do you remember what I was telling you on the tracks earlier?"

He nods, letting go of one of my hands so I could wipe away the tears that are slowing down. "Yeah, that they were some girl named Mellissa's memories."

"Marissa. Her name was Marissa. Everything I've seen had her in it. I saw get taken by the lab, I saw her give birth to a baby there, and I'm scared I might see something I don't want to see. Something I won't be able to unsee."

"What does this have to do with you not knowing who you are anymore?"

"The baby she gave birth to. It was a little girl. The doctors saw her do something extrordinary and said that it was the third one like it." I say, waiting for him to catch on.

"Third one like what?" I groan and tear my other hand out of his, gesturing wildly around me. "The third kid with powers! Do you not get it? I'm literally labeled 003! That kid was me." I say, getting quieter near the end. His eyes are wide, shocked. _Kinda expected that._

He opens and closes his mouth, like he trying to talk, but nothing comes out. He does this for a little longer before he finally finds his voice. "So, this Marissa girl is your mom?"

"Yes! And it changes so much."

"No it doesn't." 

"What?" I ask, stretching my legs.

"It doesn't change anything." He takes my hands and helps me stand up. "You're still the same caring girl who would rather get hurt than let anyone feel any kind of pain, physical or otherwise. You're still the same girl those kids look up to. Nothing changes except maybe the label of 'mom', if Marissa gets it, or if Ms.Byers gets it. You're still my best friend." He reassures me. 

I smile at him and ambush him with a tight hug. He's caught off guard, but quickly recovers and hugs me back. I melt in his warm embrace, and I melt even more when I feel his lips touch the top of my head. "Thank you." I whisper.

He squeezes me in response. "Hey! It's opening!" Dustin yells, making us jump. We look over at the gate, not letting go, and see it slowly open. "Holy shit, it's open." I whisper. Steve slowly lets go of me and we watch Nancy and Johnathan run to their car.

"We'll get them. You guys stay here." Johnathan yells as he climbs in. Before any of us could argue, he drives off. I walk over to the gate and look ahead, trying to see anyone.

 _Please let them all be safe._ I wring my hands nervously as we wait for them longer. Luckily, we don't wait too long. The sounds of two cars fills the air as I see two pairs of headlights. "Guys, move out of the way!" I yell as I move back. 

I usher them out of the road and onto the dirt before Johnathan could run them over. Hopper's jeep follows their car. It skids to a stop as he yells at us. "Let's go!" Not wasting any time, we rush over to his car. I open the passenger side door and help the others in. 

"Come on, hurry!" I yell, already hearing the demodogs from the lab. The quickly climb into the back, letting me take the passenger seat. I slam the door shut and look over at Hopper. "Let's go."

He slams on the gas pedal and speeds down the road, following Johnathan. I grip onto the dashboard tightly and look around, doing a head count. _Dustin, Max, Lucas, Steve, Hopper. Mom, Will, and Mike are probably with Johnathan and Nancy, but where's Bob? There's not enough room for him in their car._

"Hop, where's Bob?" I ask, voice shaking. I feel like I already know the answer, but I hope and pray to God it's not true. Hopper looks over at me with a pained look. "Sorry kid." That's all he says. I look out the window, not knowing how to deal with it.

 _Not Bob....He didn't deserve that._ I stare at my relfection in the side mirrors and notice my disheveled state. My hair is a mess, my eyes look puffy, and my nose is bleeding. _It's bleeding again? That means I'm going to have another freak out soon, doesn't it. I've only gotten these when the freak outs happened. I just hope it won't be like last time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I updated early! Shocker! So this chapter had more moments between Sarah and Steve, plus, now he's kissed her, well on the top of the head, but it's still a kiss! Now we just need these two love sick idiots to kiss for real! Regarding her last comment, do you think the next freak out will be like the one last chapter or will it be worse, or maybe not as bad? Hope you guys liked this chapter, even though it was on the more mellow side. Stay Curious!~Lunar


	34. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah finally gets the rest of the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, quick warning, there's gonna be some mentions of death. It's not gonna be too bad, but still wanted to warn y'all beforehand.

**Sarah's POV**

I lean against the kitchen wall and sigh, wiping away a few stray tears. Everyone's stressed out, either because of what's happening to Will, or because of what happened to Bob. Man, just thinking about Bob makes my eyes well up with tears.

I let out a shaky breath as I watch everyone. Johnathan and Nancy are near Will's sleeping body, Mom is in her room grieving, and Hopper's on the phone with the police.

"You okay Sarah?" I hear Steve ask. I look up at his concerned face and shrug. "I'll manage." He just nods and pulls me into a side hug. I smile slightly and return it. Suddenly, Hopper slams the phone on the reciever, making us both jump.

"Let me guess, they didn't believe you?" Dustin assumes.

"We'll see."

"We'll see?! We can't just sit here while those things are on the loose!" Mike yells.

"We stay here and we wait for help." Hopper says before walking away, probably to go talk to Mom. I rub my arms and shake my head. _We can't just stay here, no one is going to come and help, but what else can we do?_

It's quiet in the house. Everyone is in mourning and it's making the house's atmosphere feel heavy with sorrow. I push myself away from the wall and walk over to the living room, where Will is lying. 

I look down at him, grimacing at his state. _He's so pale, almost sickly. Strangely, this is the calmest I've seen him this entire year._ I begin to walk closer to him, but a sharp pain in my temples stops me. 

I wince and hold my head, taking a step back. The farther away I get, the more it goes away. _So these have been caused by him, or whatever's controlling him? Why?_

"Hey guys." Mike announces, grabbing everyone's attention. I turn around and notice him holding a puzzel. A puzzel Bob brought for Will.

"Did you know that Bob was the original founder of Hawkins AV?" He asks, walking over to the table. I follow him and raise and eyebrow. 

"Really?"

"He petitioned the school to start it and everything. Then he had a fundraiser for equipment. Mr.Clarke learned everything from him. Pretty awesome, right?" He says, ending it with a sad smile.

I rub his shoulder and nod. "Yeah. Pretty awesome." He looks up at me and nods. "We can't let him die in vain."

"What do you want to do, Mike?" Dustin snaps, gesturing his arms around. "The Chief's right on this. We can't stop those demodogs on our own." _Hey, we both compared them to dogs._

"Demodogs?" Max asks. I put my hand out and explain. "They're baby demogorons, but they look like dogs." She nods, still looking confused, but a nod is a nod.

"I mean, when it was just Dart, maybe." Dustin continues but Lucas interrupts him. "But there's an army now."

Mike looks down, face scrunched. _What's he thinking?_ I put my hand on his shoulder, but quickly retract it once he jumps up. "His army."

"What?" Steve asks, finally joining the conversation.

"His army. Maybe if we can stop him, we can stop his army too." My eyes widen when I catch on. I nod along and start to move towards the hall. "Destroy the thessalhydra, destroy the demodogs." I mutter to myself as I jog over to Will's room.

I shove his door open and rummage around, trying to find what I'm looking for. I move over to his desk and move papers around before I finally find it. I grab it quickly and smile. _The drawing he made after Halloween._

I jog back over to the group and slam it on the table. The boys all start to move it around, trying to get a good look at it. "The shadow monster."

"It got Will in the field." Mike points out. "The doctor said it was like a virus, it infected him." _Or possessing maybe._

"So this virus connects him to the tunnels?" Max asks.

"To the tunnels, to the monsters, the Upside Down, everything!" Mike explains quickly, confusing Steve. Steve tries to get him to slow down, but he's ignored. I rub his arm in a silent apology.

"So the Shadow Monster's inside everything. And if the vines feel something, like pain, then so does Will."

"Then so does Dart."

"Yeah! Like Mr.Clarke told us. The Hive Mind." _Hive Mind, like the Mind Flayer?_

Steve, still confused, finally gets a question through. "The Hive Mind?"

"It's a collective conciousness. A super organism. It controls everything, like a brain." He nods along, staring at the drawing. I look back down at it and shiver, remembering just how huge it looked in my nightmare.

"Like the Mind Flayer." Dustin realizes. I nod, smiling at him. "Exactly like it." I snap my fingers at Lucas and Dustin. "One of you go get the DnD starter book, the other, get everyone over here." They nod and run off.

I move everyone around the table, making room for everyone else. Mike comes back first, with everyone following behind him. "What's going on?" Johnathan asks.

"I think I know what's infecting Will." I explain briefly, pointing over at the table. The surround it as we wait for Dustin. And speak of the devil, Dustin runs in, carrying the book above his head.

I move to the side so he can stay at the head of the table, He slams the book down and flips to a random page. The page is full of different kinds of creatures that you could encounter in a session. "The Mind Flayer." He announces.

Hopper peers over Johnathan's shoulder, arms crossed. "The hell is that?"

"It's a monster from an unknown dimension. It's so ancient that it doesn't even know it's true home." He explains, speaking quickly. "It enslaves races from other dimensions by taking over their brains using highly-developed psionic powers." 

Hopper groans and shakes his head. "My God, none of this is real. This is a kid's game." Dustin scoffs, clearly offended. I shake my head and laugh under my breath. _Man, Hopper's gonna get an earful._

Dustin places his hand on the book, stabbing it with his fingers on every word. "No, it's a manual, and it's not for kids. And unless you know something we don't, this is the best metaphor-"

"Analogy." Lucas interrupts. I stare at him, eyes wide. _Is now really the best time?_ Dustin gets about ready to argue with him, but I stick my arms out. "Boys, important crisis now, petty argument later."

They nod and drop it. Nancy finally speaks up, leaning over to see the book better. "So, this Mind Flamer thing-"

"Mind Flayer."

"What does it want?" She sighs. I run my hand through my hair and turn to her. "To conquer us. It believes it's the master race." 

Steve nods his head and tries to talk. "Like the...the Germans?" We all stare at him. I face palm. "Nazis Steve, Nazis." I mutter. He blushes in embarressment. "Y-yeah, the Nazis."

Dustin shakes his head, caught off guard, and tries to keep explaining. "If the Nazis were from another dimension, totally. It views other races, like us, as inferior to itself. It wants to spread and take over other dimensions."

"Which basically means the end of the world for us." I sum up. I take a step back and tug on my short hair. I hear Steve groan in frustration and see him move towards the wall. I walk over to him and gently grab his hand.

He looks at me and I just try to give him a comforting smile. I rub his knuckles with the pad of my thumb and bring him back over to the table. He's noticably less frustrated than before. Still frustrated, but not as bad.

"So, how do you kill this thing? Shoot it with fire balls or something?" Hopper asks, grabbing the book from the table. He flips through the pages, trying to find an answer.

Dustin laughs and shakes his head. "No, no fire balls. You summon an undead army, because..." He starts to stammer once he sees Hopper's bored face. "I-It's just a game." Hopper sighs and slams the book shut.

"What are we doing here?" He huffs. Dustin retaliates. "I thought we were waiting for your military back up." Dustin sasses.

"We are!" 

Mike walks up to Hopper, arguing with him now too. "Even if they are, how are they gonna stop this? You can't just shoot this with guns!"

"You don't know that. We don't know anything!"

"We know it's already killed everybody in that lab." Mike.

"We know the monsters are going to molt again." Lucas.

"And we know that it's only a matter of time before those tunnels reach this town." Dustin.

"They're right." Mom? We look over at the hall to see her puffy face. _I thought Mike brought her._

"We have to kill it. I want to kill it." She says, looking determined despite the puffy eyes and shaky voice.

Hopper walks over to her slowly, with a sudden amount of care. "Me too Joyce. But how do we do that?" Mom starts to breathe heavily as he tries to explain to her what's going on. "We don't exactly know what we're dealing with."

I push past everyone and bring myself to the front. "You guys might, but he does." I say, pointing at Will. "If anyone knows how to destroy this thing, It's Will."

"I thought we couldn't trust him anymore. That he was a spy for the Mind Flayer." Max points out.

"He can't spy if he doesn't know where he is." Mike concludes. I nod and snap my fingers at him. 

I walk closer to Will, ignoring the headache that's coming back. "We can use the shed. If we clear it out and cover the windows, he'll never figure it out." 

I crouch down and put my hand on Will's forehead, shivering at the coldness. Suddenly, Will's eyes shoot open. I gasp and try to back up, but he quickly grabs my wrist in a tight grip. "Sarah!" I hear everyone yell. But as quickly as it happened, it ends. 

Will's hand lets go of my wrist, falling limp as he slips into unconsciousness. I quickly stand up and move back on shaky legs. I bring the wrist that he grabbed to my chest and hold it tightly in my other hand.

My wrist feels so cold. I watch Hopper and Johnathan check on Will, and I see Steve and Dustin rush up to me. I start to breathe heavily, feeling my shoulders shake. "Sarah, are you okay?" Dustin asks, looking up at me.

I try to tell him I'm fine, but I can't get the words out. As a matter of fact, I can't get anything out, or in either. _I can't breathe!_ I begin to fall, but Steve catches me.

"Sarah?" He asks, but I can barely hear him. My ears are pounding. I begin to cough violently as I hold my neck. No air is getting in. Suddenly, I feel myself falling as I barely register Steve wincing.

I quickly let go of my neck and brace myself as I fall onto my hands and knees. Finally, I'm able to choke something out. "C-can't breathe!" Sadly, those two simple words send me into a worse coughing fit.

I can vaugely hear people yelling my name, but the pounding in my head and the headache blocks almost all noise. The headache has turned into a stinging, pulsing pain that's just unbearable.

The mixture of the coughing, headache, pounding ears, innability to breathe, and now a tightness around my eyes makes it feel like I'm dying. I feel my body shake even more.

I close my eyes, feeling something drip out of them, tears maybe, and try to alleviate the pain. _I can't breathe! Please, someone or something stop this! Please!_

And as if something heard my pleas and took pity on me, it all just stops. _Am I dead?_ I can still feel the floor beneath me. _Okay, not dead._ The headache is completely gone, but I don't dare open my eyes.

"Goodmorning Stern. Let's see if anything has changed." A woman's voice says. _Stern? Dammit, not again! What now?_ Reluctantly, I open my eyes,

I'm met with the clean tile floor of the lab. "Nothing new, unsurprisingly." The woman sighs disappointedly. I move my head, squinting at the bright light, so I can see the woman.

The woman is the same one that went to get Marissa in the first vision. She's standing in front of some machine. It looks like a TV and radio mashed together. It's all hooked up to Marissa, tied to a chair, who's giving her an empty glare.

She looks almost like how she did in the first nightmare. Long, raggedy hair, dead look in her eyes, and a hospital gown. But no burns or blisters. I turn my head to look behind me and see a group of other lab scientists, all equipped with clipboards.

 _What are they hoping to write down?_ I move my tired body so now I'm sitting instead of on all fours. The woman tisks at whatever she's looking at and shakes her head. "Now Stern, I know you are special. I don't know why you're trying to hide this."

Marissa doesn't change her look, but she does speak. "I've told you everything bitch. Let me and my daughter go." She demands. Her voice is scratchy and gravely, like she hasn't talked in a while. _'Let me and my daughter go?' She cared about me?_

At the mention of 'baby me', the woman perks up. She has an evil glint in her eyes. She smiles wickedly at Marissa and steps closer to her. "Oh yeah, that baby of yours. You didn't hear?"

"Hear what?"

"She died. 8 months. Poor thing couldn't stand a chance." She almost laughs. _What is she doing?_ Marissa finally changes her expression. The dead look on her face changes to a broken one.

"Y-you murderers..." She whispers. She begins to thrash in her restraints, trying to get to the other woman. "You killed her! Murderers!" She cries. Tears pour down her face like a waterfall as she struggles more.

The more she struggles and yells, the more the machine beeps. I look over at it, realizing what's been done. _She did this on purpose. She wanted a reaction._ The beeping goes crazy, making some scientists run to it to check on it.

Lights are flickering and bulbs are exploding. I cover my head as the first bulb bursts. More follow until it's just the one light above her.

"Murderers! My baby!" She sobs more. I cover my ears and try to block out her pain filled voice. Suddenly, the room changes, like paint being wiped and smeared. 

I can still hear her screams, but I'm not in her room anymore. I'm in a nursery. The nursery lights begin to flicker because of Marissa. A baby cries.

I pull myself up and look around for the baby frantically. Lucky for me, the baby is in the cradle I used to pull myself up. She's crying, face completely red.

I cover my ears again at her cries. _My cries? I don't know._ The one light above her doesn't flicker, but instead pulses, growing brighter and brighter. She cries more violently and heart wrentching. Slowly, making me gasp, her pupils change.

They change into small diamonds. _The cat eye effect..._ The room once again changes, the same way as last time, but instead of a lab room, I'm met by a forest.

I can still hear Marissa screaming. She's no longer yelling, only screaming. The forest seems empty excluding the trees. There's moss everywhere and debris flying through the air.

 _The Upside Down. Where are the monsters?_ Suddenly, the ground shakes beneath me. I fall on my ass as crawl backwards, hitting my back on a tree. Around, the trees seem to open up like pods, or eggs.

In front of me, something steps out of that opening. It's humanoid, grey, and has no face. _The Demogorgon...._ I raises it's head and yells with Marissa, opening it's petal mouth.

More creatures pop out of the trees, all baby demodogs, crawling around and yelling too. I hear something else yell too, voice so deep it shakes the entire forest. I can't see it, but I can tell it's big. _Marissa's making these. She's making the monsters!_ One final time, the area around me changes back to the original room,with Marissa screaming and the woman in front of her smiling widely.

The light above Marissa's chair pulses and the machine beeps violently. All of a sudden, the machine catches on fire. The other scientists start to freak out, but the woman yells at them. "Stop, you idiots! Let's see what happens."

 _Psyco bitch!_ The fire spreads to Marissa, burning that places she's hooked up to the machine. _The blisters. She's gonna die!_ I try to run to her, but my legs give out on me. I fall and wince at the impact. Slowly, Marissa's screams die along with her.

The woman yells at one of the others to get a fire extinguisher. They run over to the machine and extinguish the fire, but the damage has already been done. "Well," the woman sighs. "One of you needs to tell Brenner."

"Mom!" I yell, feeling tears fall down my face. _'I'm so sorry Sarah.'_ I hear her say in my head again. _'I wish this was the last thing I had to show you, but you still need to know this.'_ Before I can ask her what she meant, the room spins and changes.

It changed to Marissa's living room, a sight I haven't seen in a while. Marissa stands next to the wall, on the phone with someone.

"Joyce, you seriously can't tell anyone. Please." She pleads. _She's telling her about her being pregnant...._ She laughs, something I've never seen before. "Yes, you can be the godmother. But again, you can't tell anyone." Joyce must have responded because Marissa smiles.

"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." She says before hanging up. She runs her hand through her long hair. _I must've gotten that habit from her._ She sighs and slides down to the floor.

"Okay, Joyce knows. I just need to tell the Dad. How can I do that?" She wonders. She chews on her hair a little. I walk over to her and sit down next to her. "Please, who's my dad?" I ask, but I now she can't hear me.

"Is he even gonna want to be a part of this kid's life? Of course he will, stop doubting him Marissa, you know him!" She scolds herself. She puts her hand on her stomach and smiles warmly. "It's decided, I'm gonna tell him. But I have to tell him alone and in person. Let's just hope Jim doesn't freak out, huh baby?" She asks, talking to the baby.

 _Jim?!? Like, Jim Hopper?!? Chief of police Hopper?! HE'S MY DAD?!?_ I gasp, feeling my throat close up. I begin to cough and everything returns from before. The headache, the pounding, everything. No, it can't just end like this! 

I close my eyes and move onto all fours, trying to breathe. _'Sarah, breathe....'_ Marissa whispers. I try, but it doesn't work. _'Breathe. Count to five....'_ I try to calm down and listen to her. I close my hands into fists and breathe in.

_1..._

_2..._

_3..._

_4..._

_5..._

I close my hands into fists and breathe in.

_5..._

_4...._

_3...._

_2..._

_1._

I breathe out and open my hands. "Sarah!" Someone yells. Their voice sounds familiar. "Is she dying?!" A new voice, but still familiar. _That was Steve and Max. I'm back..._ I gasp, gulping down air and open my eyes.

I greedily gulp down air as I regain my ability to breathe. "W-water." I stutter out. I hear someone run to get me the water I so desperately need. My throat feels like three cats fought and tore it up. My arms are still shaking, but I can still support myself.

I feel something fall onto my hand. I look at it and see a drop of blood. I can taste the blood in my mouth, but it didn't fall like that. I don't have a nosebleed. My ears are bleeding, but it wouldn't have fallen on my hand like that. That leaves only one more thing. My eyes. I bring one shaky hand up to my eyes, and sure enough, when I bring my hand back, there's blood on it.

I wipe my hand on the carpet and try to move. I feel someone grab my shoulder and help me lean back on my knees. I hear multiple gasps, probably from how my face looks. 

I wipe my face with a shaky hand, feeling the gross, warm blood on my arm. "I-I know I l-look like shit, but you don't need to stay silent." I joke. I try to laugh, but that only causes me to cough again.

"Sarah, here." Steve crouches down in front of me and hands me a cup of water. I take it and guzzle down the water. After drinking half the glass, I place it on the ground and wipe my face.

"Th-thanks..."

"What the hell happened?!" Mike yells. I ignore him and try to stand up. I grit my teeth as I try to push myself up. I feel someone help me up, their hands underneath my armpits.

I grab onto their arm tightly and try to keep myself balanced. I look up and see Steve's concerned face. Steve helps me stand. I hold onto him even tighter as my legs start to shake, threatening to give out on me.

"Sarah, what just happened?!"

"Are you okay?!"

"Why did this happen?!"

Everyone starts to ask hundreds on questions. Their voices mix together, just becoming one big garbled noise. It hurts my head. They all get so loud, talking over one another, that I snap. "Shut up!" They all stop talking, shocked by my outburst.

"Please just....be quiet." I stammer out.

"Sarah, what happened?" Mom, well Joyce, asks. I sigh and move closer to Steve. "I'm sorry, I just....need to think. I just saw something horrible." I shudder. I feel Steve hold me closer to him, but it's probably just to make sure I don't fall.

"You saw something? Did you see something last time?" Dustin asks, pushing his way closer to me. I nod and look away. "Why?"

I ignore him and look up at Joyce and Hopper, or Dad I guess. _They need to now about this. Marissa was their friend._ I clear my throat. "Hopper, Mom, do you remember Marissa Stern?"

Their eyes widen in shock. They look at each other then back to me, they do this a few times. Finally, Hopper speaks. "How do you know that name?"

"Just answer the question."

"Yes Sarah. We knew her, she was one of our closest friends." Joyce's eyes show the pain of the mention of her dead friend. Hopper's show the same pain.

"What happened to her?" I interrogate.

"She died."

"How?"

"Why are you asking these questions? And how do you even know about her?" Hopper interrogates back, raising my voice. I barely flinch. I raise my head high, despite the state I'm still in. "I'll explain everything, just tell me how she died."

Joyce shakes her head. "She killed herself in the woods."

"You're wrong."

"What?" They both ask.

"She didn't kill herself. She went missing for a week before you found her. Who else have we seen go through that?" I ask. Everyone looks over at Will. 

Joyce gasps quietly and covers her mouth. "The lab?" Hopper asks under his breath. I nod grimly. I let go of Steve and walk towards them on shaky legs.

"How?"

"She was special, different."

"How do you know this?" Joyce whispers. I smile sadly at her. "Because she showed me."

Everyone begins to look at me, confused, except for Dustin and Steve. Dustin steps forward. "Those freak outs, she was talking to you in them?" I turn to him and shrug. "In a sense, yes."

"When did this start happening?" Hopper asks.

I breathe deeply, ready to go on a big speal. "They started the night before Halloween. I had a nightmare with her in it. She didn't tell me her name, only that she was warning me about a monster, which we all know now as the Mind Flayer. She visited me a few more times after that, but on Halloween night I got a little of her name. After finding out her real name, I had the first freak out. It was a simple coughing fit that showed her being taken by the lab. Then I had the one on the tracks, of her in the lab. And now, this one..." I trail off. 

I rub my arms, feeling strangely cold. "Well, what did you see?" Mike asks. I hold my arms tightly around me, digging my nails in. "Her death." I hear gasps from everyone. 

"Mom, what did Marissa tell you before she died?" I say suddenly, making her jump. She looks confused before her eyes widen in realization. She shakes her head and starts to stutter.

"I-I don't remember." She lies.

"I know you do."

"I don't really!"

"What did she tell you Joyce?" I snap. I've never called her by her first name, but I know she's keeping it a secret. She looks shocked.

When she notices the look in my eyes, she finally cracks. She sighs. "She was pregnant." Hopper looks at her, confused. "She was pregnant?"

"Yup. She gave birth in the lab." I answer for her. "A little girl, red in the face. With the ability to burn things with body." I rub my wrist, the one Will grabbed, the one with the branding.

Everyone's silent. No one knows what to say. I sigh and run my hand through my hair uncomfortably. _Please, just one of you talk._

Almost like she read my mind, Joyce finally chokes something out. "Y-you're Marissa's daughter."

"Technically yes. But she never raised me." I look back at Steve and smile at him. "Someone once told me that nothing changes but a simple title." He smiles back at me. I look over at Johnathan now, with a smaller smile. "And someone else once showed me that keeping secrets can hurt others and not just me, so I have to tell you everything."

I look away from Johnathan and stare Hopper in the eyes. _C'mon Sarah, it's now or never._ I breathe deeply, feeling determined. "That wasn't the only family I found. Before I got knocked out of that freak out, Marissa said she had to show me one more thing. She had just gotten off the phone. She was talking to herself, trying to convince herself to tell my father. She said his name." My voice hitches with anxiety.

I clench my fists tightly and clear my throat again. "She said Jim. Hopper, I think you might be my dad." I look at his expression nervously. He looks so confused. "That can't be possible..."

"Were there any other Jims she knew?" I sass, crossing my arms. I feel a little hurt. _Wow, losing my mother and having my father not believe me all in one day. Fantastic._ I sigh and wave my hands around. 

"I'm only telling you this because it'll just eat me alive if I don't, and you all had the right to know. None of you have to say anything about this. What we need to do right now is try and help Will." I say. And just like that, I've veered the attention away from me, like always. 

Or so I thought. "I still have one question." Max says, walking forward and finally making her presence known. I gesture for her to ask. "How come your eyes did that weird cat thing in the junkyard? And the whole, growling at the monsters?"

I rub the back of my neck awkwardly. "That um.... Marissa did that too. When she died, she left a mark. She caused the crazy eye thing plus she...."

"She what?"

"She might have made the monsters."

"She what?!?" Everyone yells. I feel the need to defend my mom. "Not on purpose. Nothing she did was on purpose. And before you ask, no I cannot hear the Mind Flayer, nor do I know how to defeat it. I'm just as clueless as you guys are." 

They nod in defeat. I hold myself closer and walk backwards. "C'mon, we need to get to work." I tell them. They all nod, albiet reluctantly. I look over at Hopper and Joyce, wincing at their confused faces. Hopper looks right at me, holding a very familiar look in his eyes. _I've seen that look a thousand times. He's gonna try to talk to me about this. That moment can't come slow enough._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy Crap! So, I will be the first to admit, there wasn't that much action in the end. I hope it was okay that it was mainly dialouge. But what do y'all think about the final vision? I finally got Sarah to open up about her visions/backstory. How many of y'all expected that outcome in the end? Plus, do you think Hopper's gonna try to be her dad, or is nothing going to change between them? Plus, sorry if Marissa making the monsters was weird, it was a random idea I had that just stuck to the very end, so I kept it. Tell me what you thought! Stay Curious!~Lunar


	35. Trying To Reach Will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How do we reach him anyway?

**Sarah's POV**

  
I walk over to the bathroom, remembering the blood on my face. I turn on the light and recoil at my reflection. There's so much blood. It's almost impossible to tell where it came from. _I didn't know I could bleed that much. I seriously look like shit._ My face is covered in blood, my eyes are bloodshot, and my hair is sticking out in random places.   
I sigh and turn on the faucet. I cup my hands underneath the water, letting the cold water cool down my warm hands. After I've collected enough water, I bring it up to my face and start scrubbing. Every so often, I empty my hands and refill them. Every time, the water is a disgusting pink.

  
Finally, after five rinses, the water is back to it's original color. I turn off the faucet and reach over to the towel rack. I grab a small hand towel and dry my face. "You okay?" I hear someone say from the doorway. I pull the towel away from my face and look at the person in the mirror. It was Steve.

  
"I'm fine." I say as I put the towel away. I see him cross his arms in the corner of my eye, "That's a lie." I shake my head. _How can he see through me so easily?_ I turn around to face him, and lean against the sink. "It may be a lie, but nobody needs to know how I'm really feeling."

  
"Sarah, please just tell me the truth," He pleads. Already too tired, I give up and sigh, shoving my hands into my pockets. "Fine, I'm not fine. I'm tired and I almost died. How do you think I'm doing?" I sass. He puts his hands up in defense and it makes me realize how much I've been snapping at people recently. I feel guilty. I swallow around the lump in my throat and try to apologize. "Sorry Steve, I didn't mean to snap, it's just....I just feel numb. I found my family, which is great and all, but now I have a whole bunch of baggage along with it. It's just so much to take in, in one day."

  
He nods and puts his hands down. He walks up to me and wraps his arms around me. "It's going to be okay. I'll help you through it. We all will." He reassures me. I hug him back, holding the back of his jacket tightly in my hands. 

  
Sadly, the hug ends shortly, and he lets go of me. "C'mon, we need to set up the shed." He says as he takes my hand. He leads me out of the bathroom and out of the house to where everyone else is. I look down at where our hands are connected and I'm greeted by a confusing sight. His hand is bright red. It looks like mine when I use my fire powers.  
"Steve, what happened to your hand?" I ask, pulling his hand closer to me so I could see it easier. He looks back at me, confused at first, but it slowly melts into remembrance. "Oh yeah. When you were going through that stuff back in the house, you accidentally burned my hands, that's why I dropped you."

  
"I burned you?!"

  
"Yeah, but it wasn't even that hot. It just surprised me, that's all." He tries to reassure me, but I still feel horrible. _I burned him. I burned my best friend. I'm such a piece of shit._ I let go of his hand and grab his wrist instead. I raise up my other hand and conjure water. I pour a little on his hand. "It's not much, but it can cool down the burn. I'm so sorry Steve." I apologize. He watches the water in wonder.

  
I stop the water and let go of his wrist, embarrassed. Suddenly, a loud crashing sound makes us jump. We look over at the shed to see Hopper clearing it out. I take a step back, blushing. "I'll um, I'll go help the kids find some stuff to cover the shed." I mutter as I walk away.

  
I see him nod. "I'll go cover the inside of the shed then." He mutters back, walking over to the shed. I quickly walk over to Dustin and Lucas, seeing them crouched near our trash cans. "Need any help guys?" I ask. They nod. We all grab a trash can and throw them on the ground, making the insides pour out. 

  
We all begin to dig, looking for any newspapers or any kind of paper. I scrunch my nose at the smell. I grab a bit of old newspaper and put them in a pile behind me. "Hey," Dustin says, making Lucas and I turn to him. "I'm....I'm sorry about Dart and all. I guess I just thought that he was my friend. I was wrong." He sighs. His voice is thick, like he's about to cry.

  
He doesn't look at either of us as he digs through the trash. "I broke the rule of law, so if you want your girlfriend to take over my spot in the party, I understand." Lucas sighs and laughs. He gestures with his hands. "She's not my girlfriend." He explains. I roll my eyes and scoff. _Yeah right._

  
Dustin seems to agree with me. "I saw you two holding hands in the bus, Lucas."

  
"She was just scared."

  
"Maybe, but I could feel it." He begins to stand up. "Feel what?" Lucas asks. "The electricity." Dustin replies. He picks up his newspapers and walks away, leaving Lucas and I alone. I shake my head. _Dustin doesn't need to freak out. We'll never replace him._ I grab one last piece of paper and get on my knees.

  
"What did he mean by electricity?" Lucas wonders aloud. I laugh and gather my newspaper. "It's pretty obvious." I poke fun at him. He blushes and shakes his head. "No, it's not like that." He rushes out. I tilt my head to the side, not believing him in the slightest. "She's just a friend." He tries to convince me. 

  
I laugh at his tone and stand up, holding the paper close to my chest. "Whatever you say." I tease him, rolling my eyes. I carry my pile into the shed and drop it onto the ground. I grab a roll of duct tape that was on the ground and start covering the windows. Everyone else comes in and helps set up the shed.

  
Max and Johnathan bring in two chairs, leaning them against two adjacent poles. I help Mike and Lucas bring in spot lights. Now that the shed is set up, we just have to bring in one more thing. Will. "Not everyone can stay in here. There's not enough room." Hopper points out.

  
"Well, I know for a fact that Mom, Johnathan, and I are staying in here because he's our family." I say, leaning against one of the poles. No one bothers to argue with me. "Well, Hopper should stay as well." Nancy points out.

  
"I can stay." Mike steps forward. I look at Lucas and Dustin, expecting them to try and stay, but they stay silent and just nod at Mike. "I guess it's settled. Everyone else needs to leave." Hopper says. He ushers everyone else as he leaves to get Will.

  
I pull on my hoodie and shove my hands into my pockets. "You don't have to do this." Johnathan says. I look up at him and raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

  
"What happened back there. It's because Will grabbed you. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to do this." I roll my eyes. "It wasn't Will, it was the Mind Flayer. Plus, he'll be restrained, so I have nothing to worry about." He nods and looks at the door. We all watch Hopper walk back in with Will in his arms.

  
He walks over to the chair and puts him down. I walk behind the pole and grab the wires he hands me, so we can tie him up. I tie it tight enough to where there's no way he could get loose, but not so tight to where it'll cut off circulation. "Are you ready?" Hopper asks, holding the bottle of ammonia. Mom nods her head. 

  
Hopper walks over to Will, shaking the bottle, and crouches down. He pours some of the ammonia on a rag and brings the rag to Will's nose. Will wakes up immediately. He looks around at us, confused. He starts to try to shake off the bindings. "What...what is this?" He asks.

  
When none of us answer, he starts to panic. "What is this? Why am I tied up?" His voice raises as he struggles more. It breaks my heart to see him this scared and confused. Mom crouches down in front of him and tries to calm him down. "Will, we just want to talk to you. We're not gonna hurt you."

  
He stares at her for a second before looking straight at Hopper and I. "Where am I?" Hopper ignores his question. He moves forward and pulls out his drawing. "You recognize this?" He pushes. Will shakes his head fearfully.

  
"Hey," I speak up from behind Hopper and Mom. He looks straight at me. "We're here to help, but to help you, we need to understand how to kill the thing in the picture." Something seems to snap in him. He starts to shake, making Hopper have to hold him down. "Why am I tied up? Why am I tied up?!? Let me go! Let me go!" He screams. The more he talks the deeper his voice gets, like the Mind Flayer is speaking through him.

  
The lights start to flicker and pulse the louder he gets. _How are we gonna reach Will? What could knock him out of this?_

  
_"Sarah, is it true that you met a girl with superpowers?!"_

  
_"Yeah, we did. You would have really liked her."_

  
_"Were they like your's?"_

  
_"No, they were cooler than mine. And you don't need to keep it a secret anymore. Everyone knows."_

  
_That's right. He knew about my powers before everyone else. Maybe if I tell him the story, it'll knock him free of the Mind Flayer's control for a bit!_ I move away from the pole and walk over to Will. When he notices me, he starts to quiet down. He's completely silent by the time that I'm crouched down in front of him.

  
I bring up my right hand and light my thumb on fire. I keep my hand away from him as he eyes it warily. "You remember this? Do you remember the first time you saw me do this?" I ask him. He just stares at my hand. "It was before all this. Before the Mind Flayer, before the Demogorgon."

  
I ignore everyone else's confused faces. "You walked into my room, needing help with something. I forgot to lock the door and you forgot to knock. You walked in on me using my powers. I was so scared you would be scared of me, but you thought they were the coolest thing. You promised you would never tell anyone, and you never did. You asked me so many questions about them, you even asked me to show you how I did it. You made me think for the first time that these powers weren't a curse. I even remember you coming up to me one time during winter and just asking me to use my powers because you didn't wanna be cold." I laugh near the end, eyes watering a little at the memory.  
He stares at me with a blank expression, no hint at him remembering this at all. "You have to remember that." I basically plead. Nothing changes on his face, but I hear a light tapping. Without moving my head, I look over at his hand and see it tapping. It pauses every so often, like a code. _Like morse code._ I look over at Hopper, and he notices it too. _From where he's standing, he can probably figure out what he's trying to say._

  
I look back at Will, waiting for him to do something. "Let me go." He whispers. His eyes cloud over, signaling that he's not in control anymore. I sigh and stand up, pulling off my hood. "Knock him out." I look over at Hopper and he nods, doing what I asked. Once will's out, I pull open the shed door and rush over to the house, with everyone following me.

  
I throw the back door open and start looking for a notepad. I find one on the side table and I place it on the table, grabbing a pencil as well. "Were you able to see it?" I ask Hopper. He nods and I hand him the pencil. He begins to right down the code.

  
"What happened?" Dustin asks.

  
"I think he's talking, just not with words." Hopper says. I look over his shoulder and look at the code.   
_… H_  
 _. E_  
 _._. R_  
 _. E_  
 _Here..._  
"What is that?" Steve asks. "Morse code." We all say. Hopper puts the corresponding letters under the dots and dashes. "H-E-R-E." 

  
"Here." The kids say. Hopper places the pencil on the table and looks at all of us. "Will's still in there. He's talking to us." I look over at Johnathan and point to Will's room. "We need memories to knock him out of it. Get the boom box and play his favorite song." He nods and runs off.

  
I run off to my room and rummage through my drawers. I move shirts out of the way until I find what I'm looking for. My morse code guide. I run back to the living room, not even bothering to put my clothes back. I'll do it later. I toss it to Dustin and he puts it on the table. "Hop, you can take my radio so you can tell us what he's saying."

  
"You're not coming?"

  
"No, I'll stay here and help decode."

  
"Is it because of what you said?" Mike asks as he straightens the guide and the notepad. I raise an eyebrow. "About Will and your powers." I shake my head. I stuff my hands in my pockets and look down at the table. "No, it's not about that. I just think it's better if I stay out here." He nods and keeps quiet.

  
Johnathan comes back with the boom box and a mixtape, and they take that as their que to leave. I pull up a chair and grab the notepad. Lucas pulls out his radio and turns it onto the right channel. Over the course of a few minutes, we get different sequences from Hopper.  
 __._. C_  
 _._.. L_  
 __ _ _ O_  
 _… S_  
 _. E_  
 __ _. G_  
 _._ A_  
 __ T_  
 _. E_  
"Close Gate." Suddenly, the phone rings. "Fuck!" I hiss. I hop up from the chair and run up to the phone. Dustin beats me there and takes the phone off then receiver and puts it back on, silencing it, but not for long. It starts to ring again. Nancy grabs it by the receiver and tears it off the wall, throwing it to the ground. _Bad ass move._

  
"Do you think he heard that?" Max asks, looking nervous. I turn to her, but I don't know how to answer. Luckily, Steve answers for me. "It's just a phone. It could be anywhere, right?"

  
A loud roar proves him wrong. I move over to the windows, feeling my eyes tightening. _They're coming._ I look out the window and see Hopper, Mike, and Johnathan looking around. I take a step back and close the curtains. "Never underestimate a monster." I say to Steve as I walk over to the back door.

  
I throw it open and yell at them to hurry inside. "C'mon! Hurry!" They run back into the shed to get Will and Mom. I look back inside at the others. "Steve, get the bats." He nods and runs off to another room. I hear Johnathan hurrying everyone out of the shed. I keep the door open and help them bring Will in. 

  
I do a head count, but someone's missing. _Dad...._ I quickly look around and feel relived when I finally spot him. He runs over to the door, carrying a rifle. _Good thinking._ He walks past me and I close the door, locking it. 

  
He walks over to the wall and picks up another, larger gun. "Get away from the windows." He yells at the kids. The quickly listen. I walk over to the back of the living room, my back to the couch. Steve walks over to me handing me my bat. I thank him and hold it tight in my hands. 

  
"Do you know how to use this?" Hopper asks Johnathan. He's holding the rifle out to him. Johnathan starts to stutter, but Nancy pushes herself in front of him. "I do." Hopper nods and tosses her the rifle.

  
I look over at Johnathan, then back at my bat. "Johnathan, catch." He looks over at me right as I toss him my bat. He catches it easily, but looks at me confused. "What about you?"

  
"I have powers. I am a weapon."

  
Everyone gets ready. Johnathan and Steve raise their bats. Hopper and Nancy aim their guns at the window. I raise my hands, lighting them aflame. Everyone else is behind us. _Come on you sons of bitches, show yourselves. I'm ready to fry you suckers._

  
The screeching and growling gets louder the closer they get to the house. I see some of their shadows go by, but I need a clearer shot. "What are they doing?" Nancy asks, keeping her gun aimed. The demodogs circle the house, getting louder and louder, until they suddenly stop. 

  
There's one pained whimper, but that's the only bit of noise. Suddenly, a demodog comes flying through the window, shattering it completely. Everyone jumps back, but I stay where I'm standing. The demodog is one it's side, not moving, not even making a sound. _Is it dead?_

  
I move closer to it, making my flames die down a little. "Sarah, stay away from that thing." Hopper demands, but I ignore him. I get so close that the edges of my shoes are almost touching it. _If it were alive, it would have attacked me by now. It's definitely dead._ I extinguish my flames and kick the demodog's head. "It's dead." I deadpan. 

  
I hear them all sigh, but the moment of peace doesn't last for long. We hear the door creak behind us. We all turn around, bringing our weapons up, all except for me. I push myself to the front of the group. We watch the lock open on it's own. _What?_ I hear Hopper and Nancy cock their guns. 

  
The sliding lock on the door starts to slowing come off, all by itself. _The only other thing that was able to do that was...._ I quickly step forward and stick my hands out. "Wait guys, hold your fire!" I yell at them. The door knob slowly turns before it finally clicks, the sound deafening it the quiet room. 

  
The door creeps open, letting something, or someone walk in. In walks a girl with black clothes, slicked back hair, black eyeliner, and a bloody nose. I smile at her. I see everyone lower their weapons.

  
"El..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N  
> Hey guys! I'm sorry this is late guys! I hope y'all liked this chapter, and we finally have Eleven back in the story! Also, I know some of y'all didn't forget that little detail I added in the end of last season's final chapter where Will knew all along. I have finally added a story for it! Tell me what you thought in the comments, about the chapter or about the memory, or both! Stay Curious~Lunar


	36. Crap, He's Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wouldn't guess who shows up.

**Sarah's POV**

  
"Eleven."

  
"Mike." Mike and Eleven slowly walk towards each other, embracing one another once they meet. El cries a little as she holds him tight. "I never gave up on you." Mike says. "I called you, every night for-" El pulls away from the hug to look at him. "353 days." She laughs. _Wait a minute. El, you weren't supposed to let him know._

  
"Why didn't you tell me you were there?" He asks, voice a little heartbroken. I look down, guilt overtaking me. I step forward, reaching out to them. "Mike, about that-" I try to explain, but before I can start, Hopper interrupts me. "Because I wouldn't let her." I look from him to Mike. Mike moves away from Hopper, staring at him shocked. 

  
Hopper walks up to El. "Where have you been?" 

  
"Where have you been?" El counters. They embrace. I smile a little and walk up to them. El looks at me from inside Hopper's arms. "Don't think you're not giving me a hug, kid." She smiles and hugs me too. I run my hand through her gelled hair, messing it up, but she doesn't mind.

  
"You've been hiding her." Mike says, making us separate. I lose my smile and look down at El's head, not wanting to see the pure hurt and anger on his face. Mike begins to lash out on Hopper, hitting his arm. Hopper stops him, grabbing his arm before he could hit him again. "Let's talk." He directs Mike down the hall, leaving the rest of us in the living room. 

I squeeze El a little tighter as I look at her face. "Who the hell did your make up? It looks good. Looks pretty."

  
"Pretty bitchin'." My eyes widen a little at her language. I laugh, brushing it off, and mess up her hair even more. "Yeah, pretty bitchin' I guess." I let go of her so she could reunite with the rest of them. I wipe at my eye a little, wiping away happy tears. 

  
In the corner of my eye, I can see Steve walking up to me. I roll my eyes and put one hand out. "Before you even ask, I'm fine." He laughs and puts his hands up. "I wasn't even gonna ask that."

  
"Yeah right, that's all you've been asking me the entire night. I'm just happy to see her again." He walks over to me and puts his arm around my shoulder. "Is she the one that....you know..." He trails off, obviously not trying to make sad. But I get what he's hinting at. I nod and wrap my arms around myself. "Yeah, she's the one that I lost last year." 

  
He just nods and tightens his hold on my shoulders. I watch Eleven reunite with Dustin and Lucas, smiling wide at her confusion regarding Dustin's front teeth. "Eleven?" Max asks, walking up to her. "Hey, um, I'm Max. I've heard a lot about you." She puts her hand out for El to shake, but she just pushes past her to get to Mom. Max looks hurt. 

  
El and Mom hug tightly, glad to see each other again. "Can I see him?" El asks, referring to Will. Mom nods and leads her down the hall. "Hey Max." I call to her. She looks over at me, still looking hurt. "She'll come around. I bet by summer, you two will be attached at the hip." She smiles, looking hopeful.

  
I rub my arms, feeling cold. _What's with the random cold air?_ I heat up my body and sigh at the change. After a while, El and Mom come back and walk over to the table, where the notepad's at.

  
"You opened this gate before, right?" Mom asks, pointing at the message. El nods somberly. "Do you think if we got you back there, you could close it?" Another nod.   
"Close what?" We hear Hopper say from the hall. We all look over at him and Mike. I gesture for them to follow me over to the table, where we all huddle around it. "The gate."  
He sighs and shakes his head. "It's not like it was before. It's grown. A lot. And that's considering we can get there. The place is crawling with those dogs." Dustin turns to him. "Demodogs."

  
"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, uh, demodogs." _Jesus Dustin, now's not the time._ "Like Demogorgon and dogs. You put them together, it sounds pretty badass."

  
"How is this important right now?"

  
"It's not. I'm sorry." I reach over and rub Dustin's shoulder as he looks away, embarrassed. El perks up and turns to Hopper. "I can do it."

  
Hopper shakes his head, looking concerned. "You're not hearing me." I sigh and look up at him. "Hop, she is hearing you, trust me. But who else could do it? Her and I are the only ones with powers here, but mine aren't fit for something like that. She's the only one who could do it." I push my fears down and stand tall. _Believe me, I don't want her to do it either, It's dangerous as fuck, but what other choice do we have?_

  
Mike's the next one to talk. "Even if El can. there's still another problem. If the brain dies, the body dies." Max shakes her head, confused. "I thought that was the whole point?"  
"It is, but if we're really right about this...If El closes the gate and kills the mind Flayers army..."

  
"Will's a part of that army." Lucas realizes. I take a step back and shake my head. "Closing the gate will kill him." I mutter. I rub my arms feverently as I move away from the group to think. _How the hell are we supposed to get the Mind Flayer out of Will?_

  
 _"He likes it cold." That's what Will said. What if that's the answer?_ I look up at Mom, and it seems like we both had the same idea. We both quickly move away from the group and make our way to Will's room, with the others following behind us.

  
We walk in, seeing Will unconscious on top of his bed sheets. The room is much more cold than the entire house. His window is open, letting the cold Fall air in. "He likes it cold." Mom walks over to the window. She shuts it and locks it. "He said that to me. We keep giving it what it wants."

  
"If this is a virus and Will's the host, then..." Nancy begins to piece together. I step forward. "We need to make the host uninhabitable. We need to burn it out of him."  
"We have to do it somewhere he doesn't know this time." Mike points out.

  
"Somewhere far away." Dustin agrees. I look over at Hopper, already knowing where Will needs to go. Hopper nods and picks up Will. "I know a place."

  
He carries Will out of the room and out of the house, with Johnathan, Mom, and I following him. "Take Denfield, then you'll see a large oak tree." I tell them. "Swing a right. That road is gonna dead end. Then it's about a five minute walk from there. Got it?" I open Johnathan's car door so Hopper can lay Will down in the back.

  
"Can't you just take us there Sarah, you're coming with us right?" Johnathan asks. I just shake my head and begin to walk backwards, back to the house. "I can't. My powers won't work with this, they'll shut down. And I have another job anyway. I gotta make sure these kids are okay." I shout the last part as I run back to the back yard to help the others.

  
I see Steve and Nancy talking as they dig through a pile of random crap. "You should go with him." Steve says out of the blue, crouching down in front of the pile. I slow my running down to a walk, not wanting to intrude. "What?" Nancy asks, dropping something from the pile. 

  
"Johnathan."

  
"No, I'm..." She scoffs, "I'm not just gonna leave Mike." 

  
Steve stands up. "No one's leaving anyone." He walks up to her, grabbing an old toaster oven. "I may be a pretty shitty boyfriend, but....turns out I'm a pretty damn good babysitter." He laughs, like what he said was funny. He hands her the toaster oven. She looks at it guiltily. I stop walking, opting to lean against the side of the house. "Steve..."  
"It's okay Nance." He says. "It's okay." He walks away. He doesn't seem to notice me when he walks by. "Harrington!" He freezes. He looks over at me, surprised. "Shouldn't you be getting ready to leave?"

  
I scoff and push off of the wall. "Nah, my place is here. Gotta keep the rugrats safe. They'll be fine without me." I walk up to him and take his hand. "I'm glad you wanna stay here too, Steve. I really appreciate it."

  
"It's nothing. They grew on me." He acts all nonchalant, but I can see that he's a little flattered. I shake my head and grab his hand, rubbing his knuckles. "Well still, I'm grateful." I let go of his hand and walk back to the door to go back inside. Before I walk in, I look over my shoulder at him. "And by the way, from where I was standing, you were a pretty good boyfriend." I see him blush a little.

  
I duck my head to hide my blush as I go inside. _Where is this confidence coming from? Steve just makes me feel this way, but I've never been this confident._ I hear the cars leave, their engines getting quieter the farther away they get. 

  
I sigh and walk over to the kitchen to grab some orange juice. I pull out the jug and place it on the counter. I hear the front door open. I lean back and watch everyone walk in slowly. I grab my cup and pour my drink. "You guys want any?" I get no's in return. I shrug and put the orange juice back. 

  
I lean against the counter and watch everyone as I sip my juice. I watch Dustin look over at the dead demodog. "Steve, help me with this." Steve, confused, walks over to him. Dustin points at the dead demodog and Steve gets the hint. He grimaces as he picks it up. "What are you gonna do with that?" I ask, putting down my half empty cup.

  
"Storing this."

  
"Where?"

  
"In the fridge."

  
I go to scold him, but I already know he won't listen to me. I sigh and run my hand through my hair. "Fine. How are you gonna get it to fit?" He pauses to think. _Maybe that'll stop him for a while._ Dustin looks back at the fridge, opening the door. He looks in the fridge, looking at the lack of space.

  
Suddenly, he starts pulling stuff out and throwing it on the ground. "Dustin?!" I yell. I push off from the counter and try to pick the stuff up. "We need to preserve it. This is a ground breaking discovery! We can't just bury it like a common mammal." He keeps pulling stuff out. I just sigh and give up trying to argue. "Whatever. But you're explaining this to my mom." He just nods.

  
Once the fridge is completely empty, Steve helps him put the demodog inside. They slam the door closed before it could fall out. "Mike, would you just calm down?" I hear Lucas ask from the living room.

  
We all look over to see Mike snapping at him. "You weren't in there, okay Lucas? That lab is swarming with hundreds of those dogs."

  
"Demodogs!" Dustin corrects him. I slap the back of his head for his unnecessary comment. We walk into the living room to watch them talk. "The chief will take care of her." Lucas reassures him.

  
"As if she needs it." Max comments.

  
Steve, trying to be responsible, steps forward. "Listen dud, if a coach calls a play in the game, bottom line, you execute it. Alright?" _Sports analogy?_ Mike scoffs and shakes his head. "First of all, this isn't some stupid sports game. And second, we're not even in the game. We're on the bench." _Haha, sports game..._

  
Steve tries to justify his point, but he just stammers. "S-so my point is...." We wait for him to continue. "Right yeah, we're on the bench. So there's nothing we can do about it." _Really, just giving up?_ I shake my head and lean against the wall. I cross my arms and blow a strand of hair out of my face. 

  
"That's not entirely true Steve." I counter. Everyone turns to me. "Let me put it in simpler terms. Your boss tells you to do something so the business can succeed, but you know of a way to help, you're gonna try your damnedest to do that thing. Plus, there is a way we could get rid of those demdogs." 

  
Dustin nods along. "Yeah, these demodogs have a hive mind. When they ran from the bus, they were called away. Right?" He looks to me for confirmation. I nod and Lucas catches on. "So if we get their attention..."

  
"Maybe we can draw them from the lab." Max concludes. "Then clear a path to the gate."

  
"Yeah, and then we all die!" Steve exclaims, gesturing with his hands. I laugh and walk over to him. "Well, that's only one point of view." 

"That's not a point of view, that's a fact. Shouldn't you be on my side?"

  
"I'm not on anyone's side."

  
Mike pushes past us into the hall way, not saying anything. We follow him, intrigued. He runs into Will's room and crouches down in front of one of the many drawings. He tears it off the wall. "This is where the chief dug his hole. This is our way into the tunnel."

  
He leads us out of the room, following the drawings until we reach one right in the center. Instead of a path, it looks like a hub. _The homing spot_. "This is the hub." I say, pointing my foot at it.

"Maye if we set this one fire!" Mike suggests. 

  
"Yeah, that's a no." Steve tries to stop this. I rub his arm and shake my head. _There's no way he's gonna stop them. Especially Mike. When he has his mind made up, there's no changing it._

  
"The Mind Flayer would call away his army." 

"They'd all come to stop us."

  
"Then we circle back to the exit. By the time they realize we're gone."

  
"El will be at the gate!" 

  
"Hey hey hey. This is not happening!" Steve yells, hands on his hips. "But-"

  
"No no no no! No buts. I promised to keep you shitheads safe, that includes you Sarah, and that's exactly what I plan on doing. We're staying here, on the bench, and we're waiting for the starting team to do their job. Does everybody understand that?"

  
"This isn't a stupid sports game." Mike argues. 

  
"I said, does everybody understand that? I need a yes." Nobody answers, just kind of stares at him, annoyed. I roll my eyes and walk over to my bat that Johnathan left. _This needs to be done. I won't let anyone get in my way._ I make my way to the door, but freeze at the sound of an engine revving.

  
Max runs to the window, moving the curtain. I move to the side so I can see out the window. I can see a pair of headlights with the faint sound of rock music. _Please don't let it be who I think it is._

  
"It's my brother." Gasps Max. _Fuck!_ "He can't know I'm here. He'll kill me. He'll kill us!" She begins to panic. I look over at Steve, I can already tell what he's thinking. _If that idiot thinks he's going out there to face off with Billy alone, he's got another thing coming._

  
I drop my bat. _Can't scare Billy, but I'll kick his ass if I have to._ I gesture for Steve to follow me to the front door. "No one's killing anyone. Not on my watch. We'll get rid of him." I point at the four of them and glare. "Keep away from the windows and don't let him see you. That's an order." They all nod fearfully and move away from the window.

  
I look back at Steve and gesture with my chin to the door. He nods and follows me. _Alright, gotta keep them safe. Sorry not sorry Billy, but you can't be here._


	37. Babysitters Vs Bully

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy's here, and he's not happy.

**Sarah's POV**

  
"Am I dreaming, or is that really you, Harrington? I expected Byers. " Billy teases us from his car. I roll my eyes and lean against the door. Steve steps forward, hands on his hips. "Yeah it's me, don't cream your pants." 

  
Billy steps out of his car and slams the door. Steve stomps over to him, leaving me on the porch. _I'll stay here. Just incase_. "What are you doing here, amigo?" I step away from the door and lean against the railing. "We could ask you the same thing. Amigo." I speak up.

  
He looks over at me, smirk faltering a bit. He looks back at Steve, face hardening. "I'm looking for my stepsister. A little birdie told me she was here." He says around his cigarette. Steve scoffs and crosses his arms. "That's weird. I don't know her."

  
"Small? Redhead? Bit of a bitch?" He gestures. I snort, trying to mask my anger. "You talking about your bit on the side, Hargrove?" I hear Steve laugh, but Billy just stares at me. I can tell that this might escalate, call it babysitter's intuition, so I step off of the porch.

  
"Look Hargrove, we don't know where your sister is. We'd know if she was here." I stand next to Steve and motion for Billy to move back. "So why don't you just get back in your car and haul ass somewhere else. Maybe she's at some friend's house?"

  
Billy sighs and throws his cigarette to the ground, stomping it out. He shakes his head and smiles sadly. "Y'know Byers, I thought we had something good going on, but I don't appreciate you lying to me." I go to talk, but I hear Steve huff out a laugh.

  
"Were you dropped too much as a kid or what? I don't know what you don't understand about what she just said. She's not here."

  
"Then who is that?" Billy points over at the window. I look back at the window and groan inwardly. Every single one of them is peering out that window. _Damn it!_ They all duck down, Dustin's hat the only thing visible now. _I'm gonna kill those kids._

  
"Oh shit. Listen-" Steve tries to reason, but Billy shoves him before he could say anything else. He shoves him so hard that he falls onto the ground. "I told you to plant your feet." Billy mumble.

  
Billy kicks him in the stomach and makes his way to the front door. "Hey!" I yell. I grab onto his arm and start tugging, trying to stop him. _Noodle arms, don't fail me now._ I dig my heels into the dirt and it seems to stop him.

  
He looks back at me, anger clear on his face. "Let go of me." He seethes. 

  
I shake my head and pull harder. He slips a little, but quickly regains his footing. I hear him sigh, when suddenly I'm being shoved to the ground. My stomach hurts where he shoved me. I groan in pain and pull myself up, watching him walk into the house. _Gotta….protect...the kids._

  
I grit my teeth and look back at Steve, whose also trying to get up. I grimace as I stand up fully and walk over to him to help. He takes my hand gratefully and we rush back to the house. 

  
We slam the door open and see Billy cornering Lucas. "Since Maxine won't listen to me, maybe you will." He threatens. Steve rushes over to them and I run over to the others.  
I keep them behind me. "I said get off of me!" Lucas yells and rams his knee into Billy's groin. Billy drops him and holds himself. "You are so dead Sinclair. You're dead!"

  
"No. You are." Steve grabs Billy's shoulder and turns him around. He rears his arm back and punches him square in the face. Billy falls back, having to catch himself on the fireplace.

  
Surprisingly, Billy begins to laugh maniacally. I gesture for Lucas to stay behind me, and he doesn't hesitate. I try to push them out of the kitchen, in fear of what Billy could do.   
"Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh? I've been waiting to meet this 'King Steve' everybody's been telling me so much about." Billy raves, gesturing wildly around him. At the end, he gets closer and closer to Steve, getting all up in his face.

Steve somehow keeps a cool composer. He fixes his hair and shoves Billy lightly with one finger. "Get out." Billy's face changes, like he wasn't expecting that. His face scrunches up and he swings his arm at Steve, but Steve luckily dodges.

  
Everyone starts to cheer on Steve, yelling at him to beat Billy, but I just try to find a way to stop the fight before they ruin my fucking house. Steve starts to corner him into the sink, landing some pretty good hits.

  
I hear Billy laugh again. I see him reach for a plate. "Steve watch out!" I yell, but it's too late. Billy brings the plate down on his head, shattering it, and gains the upper hand. Steve starts to back up as Billy begins to get more aggressive.

  
They start to move into the living room, with all of us following behind. "No one tells me what to do." He shoves Steve onto the ground, knocking the wind out of him. I muster up my courage and walk up to him, clenching my hands into fists.

  
"Maybe you'll just have to get used to it then." I grab his shoulder and punch his nose, hearing a satisfying crack. He stumbles back, surprised. I huff and feeling my hands shake in anger. "I will not say this twice. Get the fuck out, or else."

  
His face scrunches up again. "I'm certainly not letting some bitch tell me what to do." He spits out. He charges me, and I swing at him. I miss and he pushes me up against the side table, most likely bruising my back.

  
He hits me above my eye before I finally gain my footing again. I bring my knee up and push him, making him fall. That doesn't stop him though.

  
He quickly gets back up and shoves me down. _His signature move I guess?_ Not expecting the fall, I bite on my tongue as I fall. I groan in pain as I taste the metallic taste of my own blood.

  
"Sarah!" I hear Steve groan from right next to me. I try to pull myself up, but my arms keep shaking. I spit out the blood in my mouth, something I've done too much today. 

  
"You...fucking....jackass." I hiss, glaring at Billy out of the corner of my eye. He tsk at me and swiftly kicks me in the side. I fall down again and hold myself tightly.

  
Through squinted eyes, I watch Billy get on top of Steve. He brings his arm back and punches him in the jaw. He punches him over and over and over again, never stopping.

  
This time, I can't get up. I hear the others yell at Billy to stop, everyone of them except for Max. She's quiet. I look over at her and see her staring at something on the table. _The syringe._ She grabs it, gripping it tightly in her hand, and stomps over to Billy.

  
She stabs it into his neck, and he finally stops. She moves back as he stands up. He pulls out the syringe slowly, staring at it as it shakes in his hand. "The hell is this? What did you do?" He tries to move towards her, but because of the liquid in the syringe, he falls back, slowly losing consciousness.

  
He starts to laugh lightly. Max, face hard, grabs Steve's bat and raises it up. "From here on out, you leave me and my friends alone. Do you understand?"

  
"Screw you."

  
Max brings the bat down and lodges it into the carpet between his legs, almost hitting his crotch. He looks at her, shocked. She takes it out, holding it threateningly. "Say you understand! Say it!" She yells.

  
"I understand."

"What?"

  
"I understand." He says one last time before passing out. She drops the bat and walks over to Billy's side. She reaches down and grabs something from his pocket. His car keys. "Let's get out of here."

  
I groan and try to stand up, spitting out more blood. "You don't plan on leaving us here, do you?" I ask. Dustin and Lucas walk over to me to help me stand. I thank them and use them as support.

  
"You would just stop us from helping El."

  
"No, Steve would. I was on your side the entire time." 

  
"I thought you said you weren't on any sides?"

  
"Well, I lied." I sigh. I look down at Steve and frown. _Poor guy, second year in a row._ I move away from the boys and crouch down in front of Steve. I move his hair away from his face, tsking at all the blood. "Look, you're not leaving us behind. But there's a problem."

  
"What?" They all ask. I point at Steve and I. "Neither of us are fit to drive. Steve's unconscious, and I wouldn't trust myself with driving a car with the amount of blood I've lost. Who will drive?"

  
Max steps forward, holding the keys tightly. "I will. I've driven around in a parking lot before." _But driving to somewhere is a whole lot different than driving in a parking lot! But...._ I look at them weighing our options. _It's either I let her drive, since none of the others have driven a car, or we stay here and El could possibly get hurt._

  
I sigh and stand up shakily. "Fine, you can drive. But we need supplies if we're going in those tunnels." They stand around. "Well," I gesture at the rest of the house. "go get the supplies. We need masks, goggles, and lighter fluid." They all nod and jump into high gear, looking for the items we need.

  
I look back down at Steve and wonder out loud. "What am I going to do with you, you selfless idiot?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N  
> Hey guys!!! So this is a shorter chapter compared to all the other chapters, but I think it came out pretty good! It ain't a season if Steve and Sarah don't get beat up at some point. Tell me what ya'll thought of this chapter! Season 2 is close to ending, what do you think will happen in the end? Stay Curious!~Lunar


	38. Into The Tunnels We Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Journey into the tunnels. What could happen?

**Sarah's POV**

  
I sit in the back, squished up against Dustin and an unconscious Steve as Max races down the road. I hold onto anything I can, trying not to get carsick. _This was a horrible idea!_ I keep one hand on Steve's forehead, pressing an icepack to one of the bigger bruises.

  
"Slow down slow down slow down!" I panic as she speeds up. Nobody listens. _Last time I'm letting her drive._ I hear Steve groan from beside me. I look down at his messed up face, feeling bad. "Sarah?" He asks as he raises a hand to his nose. I shush him and pull his hand away, still trying to not get jostled around.

  
"Yeah Harrington, I'm here. Don't touch that." He looks delirious. He looks around at Mike and Dustin, trying to get a baring of his surroundings. Dustin leans over me, squishing me into the seat. "Hey buddy. You put up a good fight, he still kicked your ass, but you put up a good fight." He tries to reassure him.

  
"Okay, you're gonna keep straight for a half a mile, then make a left on Mount Sinai." Lucas says out of the blue. I look over at him and look back at Steve, noticing him piecing everything together.

  
"What's going on?!"

  
"Steve calm down, she's driven before." I try to calm him down, but Mike makes it worse. "Yeah, in a parking lot." I glare at him. "Not helping." I hiss.

  
Steve starts to panic even more, reaching up to hold onto the top of the seat. I reach over to reassure him, but Max speeds up again, making me sink into the seat even more. We're all yelling loudly, either in panic or reassurance, nobody can tell at this point. 

  
Steve grabs onto my arm with one hand, holding me in an iron grip. I wince, but let him hold on. "Stop the car!" He cries.

  
"Everybody shut up! I'm trying to focus!" Max yells from the front. It does nothing to silence them. Lucas points across her. "Turn left now!" She makes a hard left, making everyone lean right. Steve yells and grabs onto me tighter, squishing me even more.

  
I hold onto him just as tightly, screaming as we turn. "Stop the car Max!" I yell. She does the opposite, she speeds up and turns again.

  
Suddenly, she lurches to a stop. I breathe heavily and look out the car windows. We're in a field. _At least she got us here._ She shuts the car off and says with a steady voice, "Told you. Zoomer." I slowly let go of Steve and unbuckle. I try to get out, but Steve's still holding onto me tightly. 

  
"C'mon buddy, we gotta go." He seems to snap out of something and he finally lets me go. I slide out of the car and make my way to the trunk. The others have already gotten their things and are making their way to the hole.

  
I hear Steve groan as he falls out of the car. I sneak a glance at him as I grab my goggles. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" He asks someone, but we ignore him. I hand Lucas and Max each a gas can. 

  
I grab my bandana and take one out, along with a pair of goggles, for Steve. I push Dustin along while Steve continues to yell at us. "We are not going down there right now. I made myself clear." I groan and pull out some rope. He looks over at me and stomps his way over.

  
He grabs the rope from my hands and throws it back in the trunks. "This ends right now!" I put my hand out and stop him. "Steve, you're upset, I get it. But bottom line is, we promised to protect these kids, and we are not going back on that. When you promise to protect the Party, that means the whole Party, El included."

  
He stares at me, physically calming down. He's breathing less heavily. I lower my hand and grab his. "Look, I know you didn't want to do this, but please. Do this for me?" I reach over and grab his back pack from the trunk, with the bat sticking out. He sighs and grabs the bag, nodding his head, letting go of my hand.

  
I smile under my mask and hand him the one in my hand. He takes it and quickly puts it on. I grab the rope from the trunk again and close it. I ties one end of the rope to the car, securing it tightly. I toss the end of the rope into the hole.

  
Everyone stands around it, waiting. They all shine their flash lights into the hole. They all look at me. I sigh and walk closer. "just have to take the plunge." I mutter before falling into the tunnels.

  
I crouch as I land, stabilizing myself. I look around and see nothing in the dimly lit tunnels. "Coast is clear, come one down." I step further into the tunnels as they jump down one by one.

  
Mike pulls out his map and looks around. Mike points ahead of me. "I'm pretty sure it's this way." I look down that way and feel a strong pull. _Definitely that way._ Dustin doesn't have the same thought. "You're pretty sure or you're certain?"

  
"I'm 100% sure! Just follow me and you'll know." He snaps before walking ahead. Steve starts to jog towards him, flashing his flashlight at him. Whoa whoa hey! I don't think so. Any of you little shits die down here, I'm getting blamed. got it dipshit?" Mike nods as Steve takes the map. 

  
He turns back to the rest of us. "From here on out, I'm leading the way. Come on, let's go!" He yells as he walks. We all walk in haste, eager to get to the hub. I walk alongside Mike for once.

  
We walk down the tunnel, going turn after turn, and every time the pull grows stronger. "Why did you never tell me?" Mike asks quietly. I assume he's talking to me since not many others have been keeping secrets recently.

"Never tell you what?"

  
"About El being alive." I suck in a harsh breath and feel a wave of guilt wash over me. "How did you know that?"

  
"Hopper told me."

  
I sigh and nervously light my pinkie on fire, needing to do something with my hands. "Before you go freaking out on me Mike, trust me I wanted to tell you so bad. Hopper made me promise to not tell you, and you know that I can't break a promise." 

  
I sourly chuckle and look over at him. "What's funny is that before shit went down, I yelled at him and told him to let her see you. I even told him that he had a deadline if he didn't do it immediately." I hear him scoff.

  
"No you didn't."

  
"Yeah I did Mikey. Hard to believe, I know, but I certainly did. I didn't want to keep that secret from you guys anymore, so I had to let him know." He nods but stays silent. _Is that a good silent or a 'I'm never going to speak to you ever again' silent?_ Sadly, before I could get an answer, Dustin screams behind us.

  
"Shit!" I quickly turn around and run around everyone to get to him. "Help, help, help!" He's on the ground in a pile of debris. I drop to my knees in front of him. "What happened?!" 

  
"It's in my mouth! Some got in my mouth!" He coughs. I lean back feeling my heart racing. _Really?_ I wave some of the debris away as it floats near me. Dustin spits on the ground one last time before turning to us. "I'm okay."

  
I shake my head, but still manage to smile. I lightly smack his hat, making it move a little as I walk back to the front of the group, hearing the others mutter about him.

  
I take a few steps forward into a huge open area. "The hub..." I whisper. I walk to the center and turn to look at the entire thing. _It's real fucking huge._ "I think we found it guys." I call to them.

  
I turn back to our opening, seeing them all stand there. "Let's drench it." Mike says, determined. I nod and grab some of the gas cans we brought and start dousing the place. We all cover the walls, floor, and whatever we can reach of the ceiling. 

  
We walk back to out opening and stand there. I strain my neck to look at them. "You guys start heading to the opening. I'll light the bitch up." 

  
Steve puts his hand on my shoulder and shakes his head. "I'm not leaving you here."

  
"You're not gonna leave me here dumbass. I'll catch up, just go!" After a bit of hesitation, they start running. I raise my right hand and light it on fire. I see my veins turn bright red and I feel my eyes tighten.

  
"Guess it's time to call the mutts." I mutter as I smirk. I reel my arm behind me and throw the ball of fire light a base ball. I start running before it even hits the ground. I trip a little, feeling a sharp pang in my chest. _I guess it's on fire now._

  
I feel the air around me still as I get up. I look around and see debris standing still in the air. _I stopped time again. Could use it to my advantage this time._ I quickly run and try to find the others. 

  
I run into a smaller opening, connecting to three tunnels when I find them. Mike's on the ground with a vine around his leg. He's frozen, literally. I try to concentrate on making time move again as I crouch down.

  
Time doesn't start moving until I'm tugging on the vine. "Sarah!?" Mike asks as he kicks at it.

  
"Don't ask!" I yell as I burn the vine. It's screetches in pain. "Sarah?!?" I hear the others exclaim. I help Mike up and push him forward. "Not now!" I try to push them down the tunnel. "We gotta go."

  
Suddenly, we hear the sound of a demodog chirping. I freeze, feeling my body run cold. I turn around and push the others behind me. I stare the demodog down. I notice the yellow markings on it's back. _Only one of those monsters had that marking._

  
"Dart?" Dustin and I ask. It makes a noise, almost like it's confirming us. I see Dustin step forward out of the corner of my eye. The others yell at him to stop, to come back so Steve or I could get him out of our way, but I shush them. "Trust us, he has this handled."

Dustin walks forward and takes off his face mask. "Hey it's me. It's your friend, Dustin." Dart chirps and slowly gets closer.

  
"Will you let us pass?" Dart doesn't like this question. He opens his face and snarls at him. The others gasp and move back, but Dustin doesn't move an inch. He laughs. "Okay, I'm sorry about the cellar thing. That was a pretty douchey thing to do." Dart chirps again, excepting the apology.

  
Dustin reaches back and grabs something from his pocket. "You hungry? I've got our favorite. Nougat." Dart finally gets close enough for Dustin to feed him the candy. 

  
While he's eating, Dustin motions us to pass by. I let everyone follow in front of me. I try to pass, but I feel something grab the bottom of my pants. I look down to see Dart, somehow delicately holding the cuff of my jeans in his mouth.

  
I laugh and lean down. I raise one cold hand and smooth it down his back. He chirps in delight. "I was right about you, little guy. You're kind of cute, in an ugly sort of way." It sounds like he purrs at the compliment.

  
I pat his back one last time before he turns back to his food. I push the others in front of me and they run to the opening. "Come on, let's go!" Steve yells as we turn the corner. Suddenly, the ground shakes, followed by a chorus of screetching demodogs. 

  
I feel another pang in my chest as I fall. I taste something metallic in the back of my throat. I spit on the ground, seeing blood splatter. _Really again!?_ I scramble back up. "They're coming. We gotta move!" We race down the tunnels, faster than we were before.

  
We run down and turn another corner when we finally see the opening. I push the kids in front of me. Steve runs to the opening and helps them climb up. First goes Max, than Lucas, then Mike. The sound of the demodogs gets louder along with the pain in my chest. 

  
"Fuck!" I hiss as I fall again. "Sarah!" They yell. I wave my hand and glare at Steve. "Hurry and get Dustin out, I'll be fine."

  
He refuses to listen to me. "No, you said we both promised to protect them, and I'm making sure we both get out to continue protecting them. Now let me help you, you stubborn ass." He scolds as he sticks his hand out for me to take. I look at him and groan. I take his hand and stand up.

  
Before we can even think about helping Dustin out, the shadows of the demodogs appear. I push Dustin behind me, closer to the rope, and raise my right hand, ready to fire at any moment. Steve raises his bat with his left hand, still keeping out hands together.

  
If we weren't in this situation right now, I would've had butterflies in my stomach. But instead, all I feel is dread as the demodogs charge at us. I prepare to blast them, but they just run right around us.

  
"The hell?" I ask, cooling down my hand. I look down the way they're headed, feeling the pain begin to subside. _They're after Eleven, but she's already closing the gate. We gave her time!_

  
They bump into us, making me fall into Steve's chest, as they run by. Once the last of them push past, we kick back into high gear and push Dustin up so he can get out.  
Once he's out, Steve lifts me, making me blush brightly, but I ignore it so I can climb out. Once out, I reach down to help him. We groan as he crawls onto the grass.

  
We're all huffing and puffing, trying to catch our breathes. Then I remember something he said. I push myself up and look at him. I laugh and shake my head, making them all stare at me confusedly.

  
"How many times to I have to tell you Harrington? You're not gonna leave me, I'll catch up." I hear him chuckle as he stares right back at me. 

  
"Maybe you'll stop telling me when you stop having a death wish." He jokes. I laugh lightly into the rising sun, feeling all tension leave my body.

  
We all stare down into the tunnel, it's quiet and turning grey, unlike it's blueish color. All pain in my chest song. The car's headlights start to brightly shine, blinding us a little. I smile widely and look at the others.

  
"She did it guys. Eleven closed the gate."


	39. A Dance To Remember

**Sarah's POV**

  
**A Few Months Later**

  
"Hop, you sure you don't want me to help her get ready?" I ask into the walkie talkie as I mess with my hair. I just can't seem to style it right, since it's so short. I look myself in the mirror and smile at my dress.

  
It's a nice blue dress. It's cute and simple. "I'm sure kid. It's enough that you'll watch her while she's there, the least I could do is this." Hopper says. I smile brighter and nod my head, even though I know he can't see it. 

  
"Alright. Well I gotta head out, I'm picking Max up for the dance. I'll see you later, Dad."

  
"See you later, kid."

  
I end the com and toss the radio on the bed. I straighten my dress a little before leaving my room. _'Jingle Bell Rock'_ plays through the house. I walk into the living room, looking for my bag, and laugh at the sight in front of me.

  
Mom and Will are dancing together while Johnathan records them. Will looks over at me and scrunches up his face and makes a silly face. I make one right back and stick out my tongue.

  
"Nice moves Will. All they ladies are gonna be fighting each other just for a dance with you." I tease. Everyone laughs. I move over to the table and find my bag on one of the chairs.

  
"You seem in a hurry." Mom comments. I nod and look over at her. "Yeah, promised Max I would drop her off at the dance." I jog over to her and kiss her cheek. "I'll see you tonight! Bye guys!" I call as I hurry to the door.

  
They yell goodbye as I push the door open. I dig through my bag and find my keys. I unlock my car and hop into the driver's seat. I start the car and buckle up.

  
I quickly turn on the radio as I pull out. Christmas music plays as I drive down the road to the address Max gave me. I turn another corner and pull up to a nice neighborhood.   
I pull up to the house and turn the car off, effectively turning off the music as well. I grab my bag and climb out, locking the car behind me.

  
I walk up to the front door and knock, holding the bag close to me. No one answers. I knock again, shifting my weight from one leg to the other.

  
"Dammit! Billy, get the damn door!" A man's voice yells from inside. _Was that his dad? What kind of dad is that?_ I shake the thoughts out of my mind as the door opens. Billy stands in front of me, leaning against the door frame.

  
"Byers?" 

  
"Hey Hargrove. I'm here for Max." I say, cutting to the chase. At the mention of his sister's name, he nods and leans back. "Max! You're ride's here."

  
We hear a muffled call back and we wait. He looks at me up and down. I cross my arms and take a step back. We hear rushed footsteps, with Max being the owner of them. She's wearing a nice sweater dress.

  
She glares at Billy before smiling at me. "C'mon Zoomer, we got a dance to make." I gesture to my car and she all but runs to it. I smile and shake my head as I make my way to it. 

  
"Have fun ladies." Billy teases, making Max and I roll our eyes. I unlock the car and she's quick to climb in. I open my door and look back at Billy. I raise my hand and flip him off as I climb in.

  
"You'll regret that Byers!"

  
"I broke your nose once, Hargrove, I'll break it again!" I slam my door shut and start the car, seeing Max's surprised look. I back out of the driveway before turning to her.

  
"What?"

  
"How can you stand him?"

  
I laugh and shake my head, making a turn. "I don't stand him, I put up with him. Big difference." She nods and we stay quiet for a while. I look over at her and nudge her shoulder.

  
"Sooooooo….you think Lucas will ask you to dance with him?" She blushes brightly and starts shaking her head. I laugh and nudge her shoulder again. "Hey, just teasing." I look over at her thoughtfully as we pull up to the dance. "Just so you know, he really likes you. It's pretty obvious. You don't need to freak out, he'll be doing enough of that for the both of you."

  
I see her smile as I park the car. "Alright, I'll meet you inside." She nods and quickly gets out. I watch her walk to the school, quickly losing her in the amount of people there are. I shut off my car and climb out, grabbing my bag. 

  
I dig into my bag and fish out my cigarettes. I pull out a simple zipo lighter, since I can't use my powers in public. I place a cigarette in my mouth and light it, breathing in the smoke slowly and exhaling easily.

  
I lean against my car, people watching. I watch all kind of cars arrive, but one in particular catches my attention. Steve's car pulls up and parks near the entrance. _What is he doing here?_

  
I walk over to his car, puffing silently on my cigarette. As I walk up, I see someone in the passenger seat. It's Dustin. His hair is a few inches taller now, and it looks like Steve's giving him a pep talk. _Steve's dropping off Dustin? That's sweet._

  
I take the cigarette out of my mouth and stomp it on the ground before knocking on the roof of the car. I lean down so they can see me through the open window. "Gentlemen." I greet.

  
"Sarah." Dustin looks nervous about something. I look up at Steve, expecting him to tell me. He looks back at Dustin and hits his shoulder lightly and then points at me. "She'll tell you the same thing Dustin. You look great."

  
They both look at me, Dustin more anxious while Steve looks certain. I smile and nod, rubbing his shoulder. "Of course dude, you look like a million bucks."

  
"You're gonna slay 'em dead." Steve and I say together.

  
"Like a lion." Dustin smiles. _There's the old Dusty._ Then he purrs, making us look at him weird. "Yeah, don't do that." Steve tells him, and he listens.

  
Steve wishes him good luck before he starts to get out. I move out of the way so he can go. "Slay 'em dead!" I call as he gets a little farther away.

  
I hear Steve get out of the car behind me. "You're not leaving?" I ask, crossing my arms. He shrugs and walks over to my side to lean against the car with me.

  
"Why you all dressed up?" He asks, looking me up and down. I blush and mess with the hem of my dress. "Chaperoning." Music from the Snow Ball flows into the open night from the open doors, reminding me why I'm here.

  
I take a step away from his car and gesture with my thumb at the school. "I better go in there and make sure everything goes okay. I'll see you later Steve." He looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn't speak.

  
I turn around and make my way to the school, pulling my bag closer to me. 

  
"Wait Sarah!" Steve suddenly calls out. I turn around and see he's also stepped away from the car, but he's still behind me a few feet.

  
"Mmhm?"

  
He seems to struggle with what he's trying to say. I tilt my head to the side, waiting. Finally, he gets out what he wanted to say. He puts one hand out to me.

  
"Care for a dance?"

  
I can't help but laugh at the cheesiness of it. I clear my throat and take a step forward. "I'd love to." I take his hand. He pulls me closer until there's only a bit of room between us. 

  
He lets go of my hand so he can put his hands around my waist. I put my arms around his neck and we sway to the quiet sound of music. He looks over at the school behind me and laugh.

  
"You remember our Snow Ball?" I snort and nod. 

  
"Yeah, that was the year you first started using hair spray. Your hair was as big as Dustin's."

  
"You can't make fun of me when you were the one who wore that horrible pink dress." He fires back as dance. I nod my head. "Fair point."

  
I look down as I remember. "Man, you basically forced me to go. You even dragged me to the dance floor for every song."

  
"Yeah, but you always refused to dance during the slow songs. That was where you drew the line."

  
"Well, I guess this one makes up for lost time." I joke. He laughs and nods his head. We remain silent for a while, listening to the faint music in the basically empty parking lot.  
After a while, I end up resting my cheek on his chest while he holds me closer, making my stomach flutter. All of a sudden, Steve breaks the peaceful silence. "You know, after everything we did, I only have one question."

  
"Hmm?" I look up at him, taking my head off his chest. He looks down at me, but he doesn't look me in the eyes.

  
"What did Billy mean when he said you two had something going on?" _What? When did Billy say that?_ I wrack my brain for that memory, but Steve interrupts my thoughts. "Were you two a thing? I mean, the looks and the smoking together would make sense...."

  
I look up at him, shocked. I'm so shocked, I laugh a little. He looks taken back by that. "You thought Billy and I were a thing? Please, my standards aren't that low." I joke, but he still looks confused.

  
I sigh and run a hand through my short hair. "Steve, nothing like that was going on between us. He was talking about a deal we had made."

  
"Deal?"

  
"Yeah, it's really stupid, thinking about it now." I laugh nervously _. Okay Sarah, shut up before you tell him everything._ "I was supposed to act like I liked him so he could build a reputation as the guy every girl would fall for, and in return he would....." _Okay, shut up!_

  
"He would?" Steve pushes. I feel him tense up a little.

  
"He would help me make you jealous." _DAMMIT! You weren't supposed to say that!_

  
He's quiet, but I'm on a roll. There's no way to stop me from talking. "Yeah, he was supposed to make you jealous to see if you would do anything. And I stupidly agreed to the deal because I had the biggest crush on you." I admit finally. Everything's quiet, even the music.

  
We've stopped dancing. The air is tense and awkward. _Fuck, I've ruined everything. I need to leave._ I feel my eyes water a little. I look at Steve, and his face is blank. I slowly take my arms from his neck and step back.

  
His arms easily fall from my waist. My face is hot and so are my eyes, but yet I still find it in me to laugh. I tug on my hair with one hand and look down. I try to apologize.

  
"I-I'm so sorry, I've probably just messed everything up. I'm gonna head inside." I turn around and wave at him. "Thank you for the dance, Steve, it was lovely."

  
I walk away from him, feeling myself drown in my embarrassment. _Stupid, stupid, stupid. How could you be so stupid?_ I cover my face with one hand, leaving the other swinging by my side.

  
I hear footsteps behind me before I feel someone grab my arm. "Wait!" I look back at see Steve's face. He doesn't look mad, more surprised. I look back down, but drop my other hand away from my face.

  
I feel him lightly tug on my arm, slowly pulling me back to him. I could easily pull my arm out of his hold, but I don't. I don't know why I don't, but I just don't. 

  
He grabs my other arm and slowly puts both arms back around his neck. I still don't look at him. He puts his arms back around my waist so now we're back to how we were.

  
He doesn't make me look at him, just quietly talks to me. "Well, I guess your deal worked."

  
I raise an eyebrow and finally look up at him. "What do you mean? About the reputation thing?"

  
"No, dumbass. You succeeded in making me jealous."

  
"But how...why would you get jealous?" I ask, not piecing it together.

  
He shakes his head, like he can't believe me right now. Quietly, he whispers to himself, "Screw it."

  
Before I can ask what he meant, his lips touch mine. He pulls me even closer, and very slowly I do the same as I sink into the kiss, closing my eyes. People always say that a kiss is like a firework, but this is nothing like that.

  
It's like I've been missing something a part of me my entire life, and now I finally have it. It's like I'm complete. I never want it to end, but sadly, oxygen is still a thing.

  
We slowly pull apart, but our foreheads still touch. I slowly smile up at him as I open my eyes. He does the same, and I can recognize the look in his eyes. It's love.

  
He laughs a little breathlessly. "Do you get it now?"

  
Jokingly, I roll my eyes. "I don't think I got the whole message. Maybe another might help." He helps, but he pulls me into another kiss. This one is even better than the last one, if that's even possible.

  
I let one hand slide up into his hair to hold him even closer. We part again and just dance slowly to the music, holding each other tightly. Nothing could ever ruin this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N  
> Hey guys! So this is the end of Season 2, and we finally have Steve and Sarah together! This season has been an amazing trip for me just to write and I've enjoyed every second, and I hope y'all did too! I'm gonna take a week long hiatus before I start writing Season 3, so look forward to that. Who knows, I might update again soon, we'll just have to wait and see. Please comment what you thought of this chapter, this season, or the whole story if you want. Also, tell me what your favorite part of this season was! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and have enjoyed the trip so far. Stay Curious!~Lunar


	40. A Little Bet

**Sarah's POV**

  
I take my hair out of my bun and sigh as I sit down. _I swear, if another kid asks if I'm on the flavor list, I'm going to burn something!_ I hear the window divider for the counter and the break room slide open.

  
"Byers, you doing okay?" Robin asks as she jumps through the opening. I laugh a little and run my hand through my hair. "Yeah Buckley. Just a few annoying customers." She nods and sits across from me.

  
"Aren't you supposed to be at the counter?" I ask. She shrugs. "Steve will take over when he gets back." I nod and reach into my uniform pocket. I pull out a snicker bar and unwrap it, taking a huge bite out of it. 

  
I lean back and prop my legs on the table. I take my hat and toss it to the side. I finish the candy bar in a few bites. I crumple up the wrapper and throw it in the direction my hat went.

  
"Sarah, you and I are friends, right?" Robin asks out of the blue.

  
"Of course. Why?"

  
"Just asking. So, friends tell each other things, right?"

  
"Yes...can I ask what this is leading to?"

  
"How did you," She gestures to me as we hear Steve return from the back, "Get with that?" She points at him. I hear him scoff as I chuckle. "Like, seriously. Back in high school, you were the sweetest girl, but you ended up with him? How did that happen?"

  
I feel Steve wrap his arms around my shoulders. I pat his hand and shake my head. "I don't know. Fate, I guess. Though, I'm glad we're together." I feel him kiss my forehead as Robin fake gags at our cuteness.

  
Steve squeezes my shoulders a little and rests his chin on my head. "Yeah, whole bunch of fate, a sprinkle of danger, and a bit of flirting from my end." A laugh loudly at that last part. 

  
They both look at me weirdly. Steve moves his arms and takes the seat next to me. "What's so funny?" He asks. I stifle my laughter and smile. "Nothing, just the little 'flirting' comment." Robin snickers a little, confusing Steve even further.

  
"What's so funny about that?"

  
"Steve, sweetie, it's just that.... you can't flirt." Robin starts to cackle. Steve scoffs and crosses his arms.

  
"I can so flirt!"

  
"Really?" I roll my eyes. Steve starts to make little noises, not knowing how to respond. I laugh and shake my head. I stand up and walk behind him, holding his shoulders.

"Steve, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I fell in love with you for many other reasons, but your flirting 'skills' wasn't one of them. Sorry."

  
He shrugs and mumbles under his breath, "Still think I can flirt."

  
I see Robin roll her eyes, and something comes to mind. _You know what, I'll humor him. But I'll do it in a way to make work less boring. This will be my entertainment for the week._ I take my hands off his shoulders and walk up to the divider window.

  
I lean against it and shrug. "Alright, you think you can flirt?" He nods, confused. Robin looks confused too. I smile slyly. "Prove it."

  
"What?"  
"Prove you can flirt. But," I raise one finger. "You can't prove it using me or Robin. You have to get a girl's number." 

  
Robin looks even more confused, but Steve looks straight up shocked. _Can't blame the shock factor._ I look him in the eyes and he seems to see my challenging stare. _C'mon Steve, you've never backed down from a challenge before, why start now?_

  
"Are you sure? You're my girlfriend."

  
"Yeah, and you're my boyfriend. It's not like the flirting will mean anything, it's all just for a challenge. Call it a bet. Or are you too scared?" I push.

  
He scoffs. "You're on. Just don't get too jealous when I get a girl's number." I roll my eyes and put my hand out to seal the deal, but Robin speaks up.

  
"But wait, you said it was a bet. What does the winner get?" She asks. _That is a good point._ I hum and cock my head to the side. "Well, we can do the basic thing, winner gets bragging rights, loser has to admit they were wrong. But we can amp it up and, say, the loser has to take one of the winner's shifts."

  
They nod along, but Robin seems to have a mischievous glimmer in her eye. "How about, loser has to clean the flavor counter, by themselves." Steve and I shiver at the thought.

  
I look back at him. His eyes are soft. "Are you sure about this, Sarah?" My heart melts. I smile softly and push my hand out again. "Of course, just don't go too far."

  
He smiles and grabs my hand. "Wouldn't dream of it." We shake on it. I gesture to the counter with my thumb and smirk.

  
"Better get to it, Mr.Flirtatious. Your turn on the counter anyway." He nods and leaves. I sit down again at the table, opposite of Robin, and I have to suppress my smile. 

  
Robin leans over the table, getting closer to me. "You're not worried?" I laugh loudly, not being able to hide it any longer. "Why should I be?" She leans back, confused.

  
"Please, Robin, there's nothing to be worried about. That boy couldn't flirt his way out of a hole."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK!!!! The actual story will start in the next chapter, but for now, I've written this mess of fluffy, cheesy, and questionable stuff. I wanted to still keep the bet they have in the show, so I though, why not make Sarah wager the bet? So, obviously, we don't have to worry too much about Sarah getting jealous/fearing Steve would be unfaithful, because we all know he is a loyal boyfriend!


	41. Not So Normal Day For Scoop Troop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where'd the lights go?

**Sarah's POV**

  
"Hey dinguses, your children are here!" Robin yells from the front counter. I look up from my book, hearing the constant ringing of the bell, and groan. Steve groans as he pushes the divider aside. He leans against the counter, sighing. "Again? Seriously?"

  
I hear another, almost taunting, ring. I stand up and open the side door, glaring at each one of them. "You know, I'm starting to believe you're using us for the free movies." I say to Mike. He gives me a sly smile and walks past me.

  
They each start to pass me, but I grab Will's shoulder and hold him back. I lean down and whisper in his ear, "You know what candy I like." I hand him some money and he nods before following the others. Steve leads them to the hall in the back, giving them the same warning as usual.

  
 _If I'm doing this for them, might as well get something in return._ I walk over to the front counter and help Robin with the customers. "C'mon Steve, still got a bet to lose!" I yell to him, hearing Robin snicker. 

  
I hear him rush from the back. I hold back a smile as I take the next customer's order. I hear him flirting with the two girls, desperately trying to win the bet. They just look at him weirdly and leave with their ice-creams.

  
I give my customer their ice-cream before turning to Steve. "Looks like you lose, Harrington." I tease.

  
"I did not lose! Our shift hasn't ended yet." He defends.

  
I cross my arms as Robin finishes with her customer. "Do we have to pull out the board?"

  
He groans, but suddenly, the lights start to flicker. I tense, memories of the past two years popping up. _Cool it Byers, maybe an energy surge._ I feel Steve grab my hand. I look at him and see his comforting gaze.

  
The lights stop flickering, going completely out. "That's weird." Steve says as he drags me to the light switch. He starts to flip it on and off, but nothing happens. "That's not gonna work dingus." Robin points out the obvious.

  
"Oh really?" Steve retorts, flipping the switch even faster, just to annoy her. I laugh, feeling my nerves subside.

  
I let go of Steve's hand and move to the opening. I toss my hat to them. "Where are you going?" Steve asks, catching my hat. I turn back towards them. "Gonna see Christine, she might know what happened."

  
"Why would she know about this?" Robin asks, and her voice seems a little higher pitched. I brush it off as nothing with a little shrug. "She has her connections."

  
I turn around again and yell at them over my shoulder, "Get ready to clean the flavor counter when I get back, Steve." I hear him grimace as I walk into the dark plaza.

  
It's strange, seeing it so dark. I can see silhouettes of everyone, so I can walk passed them without bumping into them. I hear everyone murmur in confusion as I make my way to The Gap where Christine works.

  
I walk in, seeing more confused customers. "Christine?" I call out.

  
"Over here!" I hear her say. I see a green, glowing band floating in the air. _Must be her glow band._ I walk over to her, seeing her smiling yet confused stare. "You have any idea what's going on here?" I ask.

  
She shakes her head, her dark brown hair bouncing. "Not a clue. Jerry said nothing should have turned off the power. Unless it's something big." _Man, if she doesn't know, than no one must know anything._

  
I sigh and run a hand through my hair. "Well, you got any spare glow bands? I could give them to the Scoop Troop, make cleaning up easier." She nods her head quickly, and her face seems to glow, but it could be because of her glow band.

  
"Of course! I always have spares!" She pulls out dark bands from her back pocket. 

  
"Great. Let's go." I grab her wrist and lead her through the confused crowd. As soon as we take a step out of The Gap, the lights suddenly turn on. Everything starts to go back to normal, everyone goes back to normal.

  
"Weird." Christine and I say. I shrug and look back at her hand, the one holding the bands. I let go of her wrist now that we're not in the dark. "Whelp, might as well still give them the bands. In case the power goes out again."

  
She nods excitedly and all but leads the way to Scoops Ahoy. We walk in, hearing Robin and Steve bickering again. "You were not the one who turned on the light, Dingus."

  
"How do you know I wasn't?"

  
I shake my head and clear my throat. "Man, I leave you guys for one minute and you're already fighting?" They finally notice us.

  
Steve rolls his eyes, but Robin seems to be stuck, but it's only for a second. _Maybe I was imagining it?_ I hop up on one of the tables and gesture to Christine. "Christy over here brought us some glow bands." She hands me mine, shaking it a little to make it glow.

  
Mine glows a bright, neon blue. I smile. Blue's my favorite color. "Thanks Christy." Steve says as she gives him his. His is a bright red. _Opposites attract huh?_

  
She moves to Robin, who quietly says thank you, to which she nods. Robin's is a bright orange that goes with Christine's green band. I look up at the clock on the wall, noticing the late time. "Shit, closing time." I say, smirking lightly. 

  
Everyone but Steve smile at the realization. Steve groans, remembering his punishment. "That's right Harrington, you gotta clean the flavor counter!' I tease as I hop off the table. I point over to Christine, gaining her attention.

  
"You need a ride home?"

  
"No, I promised Jerry I would help him close tonight. Thanks anyway." She walks over to the exit, turning to wave to us. "See ya' tomorrow!" She calls to no one in particular. And with that, she leaves.

  
I turn back to a zoned out Robin and a disgruntled Steve. "Aw, what's the matter Steve? Butthurt?" 

  
He ignores my teasing, opting to point his rag at me. "Double or nothing."

  
"What?" Robin and I say.

  
"Double or nothing. Same rules, same restrictions, but the loser cleans the flavor counter by themselves for a week."

  
I'm taken back by him upping the anty. _If that's what he wants._ I shrug and walk up to him, grabbing his rag. "You know Harrington, I'm starting to believe you might have a small gambling problem because of this deal."

  
"You scared?"

  
"Never." I fire back at him. I take the rag and shake his hand.

  
"Now come on. Help me clean the counter." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, I have added a new character to the mix. Please Welcome Christine Willis!!! Obviously more action will come soon, but for a few chapters, it'll mainly be a lot of Sarah being calmer and acting more like a teenager. But don't worry, that action will come soon! Hope you liked the chill chapter. Stay Curious!~Lunar


	42. Big Sister Sarah

**Sarah's POV**

I tighten my bun as I sit down for breakfast. I grab my fork and dig into my eggs. I eat rather quickly, needing to hurry for work. _Still need to pick up Christine._ Mom comes up from behind me, patting my bun. "You're inhaling your food. What's the rush?"

I wipe my mouth as I finish my plate. "Gotta pick up my friend so we can head to work." I put my plate in the sink and kiss mom on the cheek. I walk over to the couch, looking for my jacket and bag. 

"Hey, hey, hey. Wait up." Mom says, making me look up. I see a disheveled Johnathan rushing to leave. He's buttoning up his shirt, but something on his cheek catches my eye.  
There's a lipstick stain on his right cheek. _That must mean Nancy was here._ I roll my eyes and flick a bit of water at his face.

He looks at me weirdly. "Clean your cheek, dude." He blushes as he nods. He rubs at his cheek as he hurries to the door. "I'm late. See you later." He calls once he's out the door. We say goodbye to him. I look behind the couch and find my jacket there. _Okay, one down, one to go._

"Gross." Will groans as he messes with his food. Mom laughs at his tone. "I don't think you're going to think it's gross when you fall in love."

"I fell in love and I still thinks it's gross." I chime in. I finally spot my bag on the other table. I grab it and sling it over my shoulder. "No you don't. You do it all the time with Steve." Will fires back.

I blush and flip him the bird. "That's different. Johnathan's my brother, I don't want to see that." I rush past them, giving Will a nougie for good measure, before racing out the door. "I'll be back tonight!" 

I jog over to my car and pull out my car keys. I unlock the car and hop in, turning on the engine before I even buckle up. I pull out of the driveway and make my way to Christine's house.

I get there pretty quickly, considering that she lives near the party. I park in front of her house and walk up to the front door. I knock, waiting. 

"Who was that?" Mr.Willis's voice yells.

"My friend Dad. I'm heading to work!" Christine yells back.

"Have a good day sweetie!" Mrs.Willis joins.

The door swiftly opens, revealing an out of breath Christine. "You okay?" I ask. She nods and makes her way to my car. "Peachy." I climb in my car and start the car. I pull out of the street, making our way to the mall.

"Why are you out of breathe?"

"Woke up five minutes ago." She laughs, running her hand through her hair. _So that means she hasn't eaten yet?_ My 'Big Sister Mode' kicks in at that thought. I point to the back seat. "There's a bag of snacks back there."

She sends me a thankful glance as she leans back, searching for the bag. Suddenly, she screams. I lurch, making the car move to the side, at the sudden noise. "What happened?!" I yell. I pull over on the side of the road. 

Christine leans forward, looking surprised. "Something hissed in your bag." She says shakily. Something hissed? As if reading my thought, a hissing noise fills the car.

"This is Gld ldr…" A voice says. The voice is familiar. _Dustin? Wait, so that noise was..._ I start to laugh loudly, holding my stomach. Christine looks at me, confused. "Y-You were scared by my radio!" I laugh.

Christine puffs out her cheeks in embarrassment. I reach back and grab the bag, pulling out the radio and handing Christine the snacks. Now, I can hear Dustin better. "This is Golden Leader, returning to base. Do you copy? Over."

I press the button on the side and respond. "Provider to Golden Leader, welcome back." I smile widely, excited now that Dustin's back from camp.

"Sarah! Quick, head over to base!" I start the car and begin driving to the mall. Christine looks over at me, confused, and she eats a Baby Ruth. I put a finger up, telling her to wait for a second.

"Dustin, about that..." I start. I hear him sigh tiredly. "Let me guess, you don't care either? The others aren't responding, so they don't really care." I instantly flare up, worried. I know why the others aren't responding. They set up a surprise for him at his house, and I was going to join them, but I have stupid work.

"Dustin, I do care trust me. I just can't come by right now. I got a new job, and they gave me a shift today. How shitty is that?"

"Oh."

"Yeah. I promise, if I didn't have to go, I wouldn't." I try to come up with a way to make it up to him, when the perfect idea pops up. "How about this? Meet me at the mall tomorrow, at Scoops Ahoy. I'll hang out with you during my break, you can even have some of my employee perks, like a free scoop of ice-cream." I suggest.

"Sure." He says, and I still can't help but feel bad. _What else could make him happy?_

"And I'll see if Steve can take a break too, so he can hang out with us."

"Steve got the job?!"

"Hell yeah. So, that sound good?"

"Yeah. Sounds good."

"See ya Dustin. Provider out."

He says goodbye and I turn off my radio, as to not spook Christine again. I toss it in the bag, speeding up a little. "Was that your little brother?" Christine asks.

I shake my head and smile at her. "No, he's one of his friends. Though, considering how close we are, he's basically my brother." She nods. Luckily, to save us from the silence, we pull up to the mall. I park and shut the car off.

We get out, slamming the doors closed. "Meet up at lunch?" I ask.

"Always." She smiles. We walk into the mall together, but separate when we reach Scoops Ahoy. I walk in, hurrying over to the back. I place my bag down and open it, pulling out my hat.

I fix it over my bun and spot Robin walking in. "Your turn." She says as she sits down. I nod and point at my bag. "I got candy bars in my bag if you want one." I walk out of the back, making my way to the counter as I hear her sigh. "Byers, you are a saint." She says over a full mouth.

I serve people their ice-cream, getting a few flirty compliments every so often. I ignore it and keep my smile on. After a while, I hear Steve walk into the back from getting more ice-cream. He walks up to the counter, replacing some of the low flavors.

I kiss his cheek. "Morning." I greet, as I wait for another customer.

"Morning." He says, wrapping his arms around my waist. He leans down to kiss me on the lips. I meet him halfway, connecting our lips. I smile into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Ahem." A voice surprises us, making us move apart. I look over the counter, seeing who interrupted our kiss.

"Oh, Erica. Um...what would you like?" I ask awkwardly, taking a step back. She rolls her eyes. "You know the drill." I sigh, hearing Steve sigh as well.

"Erica, you can't just eat free samples." I try, but she doesn't listen. "Then why are they free?" She sasses. I shake my head and give up. "Fine, what flavor this time?"

"Triple Rocky Road."

I nod and get her the free sample. I scoop some for her and hand it over. She smiles. Without another word, she leaves. Steve sighs again and I can see him shake his head out of the corner of my eye. "I still can't understand how you used to babysit her."

I chuckle and shrug. "A lot of patience. But underneath the sass, she's actually not that bad." I walk over to the door, leading to the back. I look back over at him, smirking. "Your turn, Loverboy." I hear him laugh as I enter the back room.

I spot Robin snacking in one of my Snickers bars. I dig into my bag and grab a candy bar of my own. We listen to Steve desperately trying to flirt, marking down tallies on the white board every time he fails. We laugh about it every time.

We can hear him flirting with a girl, talking about college and how he's a 'working man'. I had to cover my mouth, I was laughing so hard. Robin stands up and sidles up to the divider window. "And another one bites the dust."

She takes the cap off the marker as she marks the board. "You are O for 6 Popeye."

"Yeah, yeah, I can count."

"You know that means you suck."

"Yup, I can read, too."

"Since when?" I tease, standing beside Robin. Steve groans and leans on the divider window. "It's the stupid hat. I'm telling you, it is totally blowing my best feature." I giggle and take my hat off. 

"Yup, company policy is a real drag. But I think it looks cute on you." I try to cheer him up. He rolls his eyes and points at my head. "If it's company policy, why aren't you wearing your hat?"

I shrug. "I'm in the back. The rules don't apply in the back." Robin seems to be looking behind him, seeing something. "Twelve o' clock." She says. She points to a group of girls with frizzy and curly hair.

Steve starts to back up. "Okay, going in. I'm winning this bet."

"I bet you are."

"You know what..." Steve rips off his hat, tossing it to me. I catch it and start to mess with it. "Screw company policy."

"Oh my god, you're a whole new man." Robin teases monotone voice. Steve turns back to the girls, ultimately freaking them out with how loud he is. They groan at his awkwardness. I shake my head as Robin puts another tally on the 'You Suck' side.

 _At this point, I'm starting to feel bad_. I sit down at the small table, plopping Steve's hat in the center. Suddenly. the sound of hissing surprises me and Robin. "Smrmh…"

"What was that?" Robin asks as she puts the board down. 

"My radio. This is how those kids and my dad reach me." I say as I pull it out. "Sarah. You there?" Dad's voice sounds. I point over to the back door, leading to the hall, as I walk out. I walk out into the hall so I can answer this in private. 

"Yeah, I'm here. What's going on?"

"I need a favor."

"What'cha need? Does this have to do with El?"

"How did you know?"

I laugh and undo my bun. "Please. you only call for favors dealing with Eleven. What's going on this time?"

I hear him sigh on the other end. "Have you noticed how her and Mike have...um. Gotten closer?"

I groan. "Have I noticed? It's kind of hard not too." A few weeks ago, I had stopped by the cabin, wanting to hang out with El. I had gone to her room, thinking she was alone, but her and Mike were making out. It still haunts me to this day.

"Do you think you can talk to Eleven? Maybe urge her to stop."

"Dad, she's not gonna just stop, but I can try to see if I can get her to do it less. But I can't do it now, I'm at work."

He hums and I hear him move around. "Thanks kid. I'll try to talk to them as well, but I think she'll listen to you more."

I nod, even though he can't see me. "No problem. I'll see what I can do. Later." I say, already opening the door to go back to the back room. "Bye kid." He says before ending the com. I walk back into the room, seeing Robin sitting at the table.

I walk over to my bag and stuff my radio in it. "What was that about?" Robin asks. I sigh and run my hand through my hair, tired already.

"My dad wants me to talk to my sister about her and her boyfriend."

"I thought you didn't have a sister?" She asks, confused.

"I do now. My dad adopted her last year." I say, only half lying. She nods satisfied with my answer. I lean forward, resting my head on my hand. _I am not looking forward to that talk._


	43. Weirdos

**Sarah's POV**

  
I look up at the clock as I lean on Steve. "Christine should be on her break soon. You want me to get you anything while we get food?" I ask him as I mess with his hair. He bats my hand away and laughs.

  
He shakes his head. "No thanks, I'm good." I shrug as move away from him. I move to the table and grab my wallet from my bag. "Suit yourself." I shove my wallet into my uniform's pocket. I yawn and cover my mouth, trying to hide it.

  
"You tired?" Steve asks, walking up to me. I shrug and zip up my bag. "A little."

  
"Nightmare?"

  
I sigh at his concerned tone. "Not really, just a weird dream."

  
"Wanna talk about it?" He places his hand on my shoulder, and I place mine on his. I muster a small smile and shake my head. "I'm good. It wasn't that bad anyway." I reassure him. _That dream was weird though... Why was Billy in it and why do I feel like something happened? But it was all just a dream, right?_

  
"Hi!" I hear someone say from the front counter. Their voice sounds familiar.

  
"Hi." Robin replies tiredly. 

  
"I'm Dustin!" _Dustin!_ Steve and I look at each other excitedly. 

  
"I'm Robin."

  
"Pleasure to meet you. Are... are they here?"

  
"Are who here?"

  
Steve pushes himself out of the back room, slamming the door open. "Henderson!"

  
I laugh and open the divider, smiling widely at him. They begin to laugh as Steve bounds up to Dustin like an excited puppy. "Henderson! He's back!" I hop over the divider window and stand by Robin.

  
"You got the job!"

  
"I got the job!" Steve cheers before imitating a trumpet. They begin to laugh as they do they're Super Cool Bro Hand Shake, pretending to fight one another with lightsabers. Robin looks at me with a raised eyebrow, 

  
I shrug. "It's their thing."

  
"How many children are you friends with?" Robin judges, making Steve awkwardly look at her. I laugh and reach over the counter to mess with Dustin's hat. "Welcome back Dustin!" I point at one of the booths outside of Scoops Ahoy. "You two weirdos got sit. I'll get your ice-cream."

  
They nod and race off. I start setting up an USS Butterscotch, knowing he'll love it. "So..." Robin trails off, leaning against the counter.

  
"So?"

  
"You're gonna leave me here while you a Steve hang out with your kid?"

  
"I promised him we would hang out. I'll make it up to you." I say as I finish building the ice-cream.

  
"How?"

  
"I'll buy you lunch when Christine goes on break."

  
"Deal." _That was easy._ I wave at her as I bring Dustin his ice-cream. I place the ice-cream on the table in front of him, handing him a spoon. He immediately begins to dig into the treat, making Steve and I smile amusedly at him.

  
I slide up next to Steve in the booth as we talk to him. "Anyway, there's no way she's hotter than Phoebe Cates." Steve says as he puts his arm around me.

  
I look at the two. "Am I missing something?" I tilt my head to the side. Steve chuckles while Dustin blushes. "Dustin here got a girlfriend while at camp."

  
"Aw, Dustin! that's amazing!" I cheer, lightly hitting his shoulder. He swallows his bite of ice-cream and smiles wide. "She is so much hotter than Phoebe Cates. And brilliant too. She doesn't even care that my real pearls are still coming in." _Awwww!_

  
"She says kissing is better without teeth." _Aw?_ Steve and I look at each other, not really knowing what to say. "That's...that's...wow." Steve starts.

  
"It's romantic." I try to fix. Dustin doesn't seem to notice our awkwardness, and I'm thankful for that. I pull my hair out of it's bun and run my hand through my hair as I look back at Scoops Ahoy. I watch Robin sweep a little as she eavesdrops.

  
"So, where are the other knuckleheads?" Steve asks, making me look back at them. _That's right, they're not here. Weird, you'd think they'd wanna spend a load of time with him now that he's back._

  
Dustin's face changes, now looking pissed. "They ditched me yesterday." 

  
"No."

  
"My first day back. You believe that shit?"

  
"Seriously?" Steve shifts and takes his arm off my shoulders, and I shift too. _Those little assholes!_ "Why would they do that?" I ask.

  
Dustin shrugs. "They're gonna regret it though, big time, when they don't get a share in my glory." I lean back and cross my legs. "What glory?" I ask, tilting my head again.

  
Dustin looks around before leaning closer to us. Steve and I follow his lead. "Last night, while we're trying to get in contact with Suzie. And uh..." He trails off, mumbling something under his breath

  
"What?" Steve and I ask. Dustin clears his throat, and tries again, but he's just as quiet as last time. "Just speak louder." Steve urges.

  
"I intercepted a secret Russian communication!" Dustin all but yells. Everyone turns around to look at us and I blush in second hand embarrassment. I shush Dustin and keep my gaze on the table.

  
"Jeez, that's what I thought you said." Steve says. I kick his leg lightly under the table. I put my hand out and gesture for him to explain. "So, what does that mean?"

  
"It means," Dustin sighs. "We could be heroes. True American heroes." Steve hums in wonder, already liking the title. I look back down at the table. _Heroes huh? Would be nice to have a little recognition for my good deeds..._

  
"Wait a minute." I say, pointing my finger at Dustin. "What's the catch? I've babysat all of you and I know there's always a catch."

  
Dustin laughs and shakes his head. "No catch, I just need both of your help."

  
"With what?"

  
Dustin reaches into his bag and pulls out a red book. He flashes it to us. "Translation." 

  
I grab the book from his hands and skim through it. "You got a recording of what they're saying?"

  
"Of course."

  
"Good." I shut the book and slide out of the booth. "We can work it out in the back. Robin should have the counter covered." I turn around and immediately bump into someone.

  
"Holy shit, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going." I look down at the small figure. My breath stops in my throat as I realize who it is. "Christine?"

  
She looks from me to Steve and then to Dustin, eyes wide. "What did I just walk into?" She says in a small voice.

  
I look back at Steve and Dustin, and they're staring wide eyed back at us. _Guess I gotta fix this shit myself._ I put my hand on her shoulder and squeeze reassuringly. "We'll explain. Why were you standing there anyway?"

  
She blushes and puffs her cheeks out. She moves her hands and I hear the crinkling of bags. "I got our lunch. You weren't where we were supposed to meet, so I thought you got held up. Guess I was right."

  
I look down and see the bags of food she got. "I...uh...well." I try, but I can't come up with shit. I sigh and look back at the boys. "Fuck, you know what, I'll explain everything. Just follow us."

  
Dustin stands up quickly. "Sarah, are you sure we can, you know?" He asks, gesturing to an uncomfortable and blushing Christine. I look back at her and nod. "Definitely. We can trust her." I grab her wrist and nod for the boys to follow. 

  
"C'mon, there's a lot to unpack." 


	44. Team Assembled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christine and Robin join the party~

**Sarah's POV**

  
"No. No way." Christine laughs from where she sits at the table. I pace around and try to explain it again. "Seriously. I'm telling you the truth!" Dustin sighs from the table next to her. He shakes his head. "Still don't understand why she needs to know."

  
"Because it's either we tell her now, or she finds out later and freaks out like you guys did. It's much easier if we tell her now." I urge. Christine shakes her head and stands up. She gives me an amused smile as she walks up to me. 

  
Steve stands up and watches her. "Sarah, I get that you're trying to trick me, but do you really think I'm that gullible?" She laughs again and shakes her head, dark hair bouncing. "Like, I get that Hawkins is a weird town, but this is a little farfetched. Okay, maybe I can get behind the whole, secret government conspiracies. The monster thing, a stretch maybe, but the power thing? That's the craziest thing ever! It's not possible for a person to have superpowers."

  
She walks passed me, making her way back to the door leading to the front counter. I look over at Steve and Dustin, not knowing what to do. They look like they have no clue.

  
 _Shit, c'mon Sarah. Do something!_ I shoot my hand out, reaching to stop her, but my powers kick in. Water shoots out of my palm and hits her hand. But instead of simply splashing her, it wraps around her wrist like a vine.

  
 _What the!?! Why is the water somewhat solid?_ I look down at my hand and see it attached to me still, basically tethering Christine to me. "What the hell?" Christine says, voice raising in pitch. She turns around, eyes wide and mouth open as she looks at the water tether. I yank my hand, trying to make the water go back to how it's supposed to be, but instead, it pulls her to me.

  
Dustin and Steve catch her before she can fall while I try to figure this shit out. "Sarah, how do you let her go?" Dustin asks as he looks at the water in wonder.

  
"I don't know! It's never done this before!"

  
"Y-y-you h-have p-p-p...." Christine stutters before falling slightly. Steve holds her up and leads her to a chair. _Well, might as well work with this_. I move closer to the table and put my other hand out. "You believe me now?"

  
She nods frantically, still looking a little faint. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" I ask quietly. She shakes her head. I sigh, relieved, and the tether breaks. Water hits us in the face. I spit some of the water that got into my mouth and sit in one of the chairs.

  
"How did that work?" Steve asks. I shrug and wipe my face. "Don't know. At least it was just water." I joke. I look back over at Christine, and she still seems a little freaked. "Christy, you okay?" I ask cautiously.

  
She nods. "Yeah, totally. I just learned that my best friend has powers, so that means everything else you said is true. Hawkins is a lot weirder than I thought." She scoffs and runs her hand down her wet face. "Crap, and I moved here to get away from all of the weirdness from my old town."

  
We laugh a little and Steve sits next to me. "Please, no town could be weirder than Hawkins." He comments. Christine shrugs. "You'd be surprised. My old town, Derry, had a few kids go missing last year. I heard, from an asthmatic kid I ran into, that it was some murder demon clown. Now, I'm starting to believe he was telling the truth."

  
 _Murder demon clown huh? Sounds easier than this shit._ I nod and look back at Dustin. "Okay, so she's all caught up. Now, about this Russian business..." He nods and begins to dig into his bag.

  
He pulls out a tape recorder and puts it on the table next to the translation book. He plays the recording and we sit and listen.

  
I don't understand a single word, but I try to pick up on any words that are repeated. Sadly, it's basically all of them. They're repeated like a mantra. Or a code. By the end of the recording, music begins to play.

  
Christine perks up at the music, looking confused. I tilt my head to the side. _Why does that sound familiar?_ Dustin ends the recording and looks at the three of us. "What do you think?"

  
"It sounded familiar." Steve says.

  
"What?"

  
"The music at the end."

  
"Why are you listening to the music, Steve?! Listen to the Russian!" Dustin yells. Steve begins to yell back, making a whole bunch of noise. Suddenly, the door leading to the counter bangs open, revealing a tired Robin.

  
"Alright, babysitting time is over! One of you need to get in there." She gestures to the counter. Christine straightens herself as soon as she sees her. _That's strange..._

  
"Hey, my board!" She yells as she looks at it. The Russian alphabet is written on it, replacing the tallies we took earlier. "That was important data, shitbirds."

  
Dustin scoffs. "Look, I guarantee you, what we're doing is way more important than your data."

  
"Yeah? And how do you know these Russians are up to no good anyway?" She asks, walking up to the table. We all freeze. _How did she know about that?_ Steve and Dustin begin to whisper to each other, not so quietly I might add. _Ahh, that's how she knows. These two dipshits can't keep their voices down._

  
Robin clears her throat, making us all look at her again. "Hello, I can hear you. I can hear everything. You two especially, are extremely loud." She says, pointing at Steve and Dustin.

  
"You think you have evil Russians plotting against our country, on tape, and you're trying to translate, but you haven't figured out a word because you didn't realize that the Russians use an entirely different alphabet. Sound about right?" I shake my head and chuckle under my breath.

  
I run my hand through my hair and stand up. "Whelp, that's the second person today. Un-fucking-believable." I say under my breath. Suddenly, Robin reaches over the table, trying to grab the tape recorder.

  
Steve beats her to it and grabs it himself. "What do you think you're doing?"

  
"I wanna hear it." She defends.

  
"Why?"

  
"'Cause maybe I can help. I'm fluent in four languages."

  
"Russian?"

  
"Ou-yay are-yay umb-day." Steve and Dustin get really impressed while Christine and I laugh at them. "That was pig-latin geniuses." Christine chuckles.

  
Robin smiles and puts her hand out for a high five, to which Christine accepts. Steve and Dustin put their heads down in embarrassment. "But..." Robin says as she takes my empty seat. "I can speak Spanish, French, and Italian, and I've been in band for 12 years. My ears are little geniuses, trust me."

  
I nod, already convinced. _We could use her help_. Steve starts to shake his head, so Robin pushes more. "C'mon, it's your turn to sling ice-cream, my turn to translate. I don't even want credit, I'm just bored!" She holds out the scooper for Steve to take.

  
Steve looks over at me, still a little hesitant. I nod and smile, telling him I'm on board. He sighs and grabs the scooper, handing her the tape recorder.

  
I clap my hands together, making everyone look at me. "Alright, you-" I point at Steve, "-need to get to the counter and make sure we don't get fired. And you-" I point at Robin, "-I need to fill you in on all the other crazy shit." 

  
They both nod and Steve moves to the door. I cross my arms and open my mouth to talk, when a horrible pain shoots through my temples. "Shit!" I hiss, grabbing my head.

  
I hunch down as the pain gets worse. "Sarah!" I hear Steve and Dustin yell as they race over to me.

  
"What's going on?" Christine asks. I close my eyes tightly as the pain gets worse. _The fuck is going on now?!? I thought I was done with these!_ I open my eyes, trying to will away the pain, but the room's changed.

  
I'm alone in a black void. _Like when I met Mom the first time..._ I hear water drip around me as I look around. "Hello?" I call. Squeaking and growling answer back. Rats start to appear, running all around me. "The fuck?" I whisper as I watch them run.

  
"Byers?" I hear someone ask behind me. _The only person that calls me that now is.._ I spin around and find a face I haven't really seen since last winter. "Billy?"

  
He looks horrible. He's sweating a lot and he looks like he hasn't slept in days. His eyes are bloodshot. "Byers, get me out of here!" He pleads. He takes a step forward and I take a step back. "Where is here exactly?" I ask, putting my hands up.

  
A growl answers for him. He begins to panic, something I've never seen him do. He looks around, seeing something invisible. "Please! Byers! GET ME OUT!" He yells. I fall down in fear at his outburst. 

  
Suddenly, something grabs his shoulder. It's some fleshy, pink, tentacle. He screams as it tugs him back, disappearing completely. I back up, still on the ground. 

  
I begin to hyperventilate, but I immediately freeze when I see something brush up against my hand. I look down and see a small rat. It squeaks, seemingly nervous. It starts to get bigger right before my eyes, squeaking more fearfully, before exploding in a pink and black, gory mess. The same color as the tentacle that grabbed Billy.

  
I scream and move away, trying to calm down. _Calm down. Calm the fuck down! Get back to the real world. It's all in your head._ I try to reassure myself, and it works. I close my eyes again, feeling the pain in my head leave me.

  
I feel something, or someone, holding my arm as the pain slips away. "Sarah, wake up. It's in your head, remember?" Someone says. They're voice in comforting, practically making the last of the pain disappear.

  
My breathing levels out and I finally open my eyes. I'm back in the Scoops Ahoy break room. Steve's the one holding me, they others sitting or standing around the table, in varying levels of confusion and concern.

  
"I-I'm fine." I say with a shaky voice. Steve leads me to one of the empty seats and helps me sit down.

  
"What was that?" Robin asks from across from me. I wave my hand at her and grab my bag from the table. "I'll explain everything, just let me....let me think. Please. "They all nod as I grab a candy bar from my bag.

  
 _The sugar should help._ I unwrap it and take a huge bite. _That wasn't real, right? Please let it not be real. But...if it was real, then we're dealing with a lot more than just evil Russians this year._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, Sarah kind of knows what's happening with the Mind Flayer, but she's still pretty confused. Also, her powers are evolving! What do you think will happen next? Stay Curious!~Lunar


	45. Underneath Our Noses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What does the message say?

**Sarah's POV**

  
Dustin plays the recording over and over as Robin, Christine, and I try to decipher it. Robin paces back and forth while Christine and I sit next to Dustin. Christine attempts to mouth the words as she listens. Dustin replays the recording one more time, before Robin hears something.

  
She turns around and point at him. "Wait, that last part, just one more time." Dustin nods and rewinds. She lets it play, before stopping him at the end. "That word. It's pronounced...'dly-nna-ya'."

  
"Dly-nna-ya." Dustin repeats.

  
"Which is spelled..."

  
Christine hops up and walks over to the board. "D! The chair looking one!" Robin writes that down with a smile on her face. _Okay, first letter down!_ She sounds out the rest of the word and figures it out. "The week is long." She says. 

  
I nod and walk over to the divider. I push it open and clear my throat, getting Steve's attention. "Got the first sentence." He turns around, a surprised look on his face. "Seriously?"

  
I smile. "Yup. 'The week is long'." I say in a horrible Russian accent. He chuckles at the accent and rolls his eyes. "Well that's thrilling."

  
"Well, it's progress." I lean forward and kiss him on the lips. "I'll come help you out here in a minute. Okay?"

  
He nods with a dopey smile. Before turning, I look over his shoulder to see who he's serving. My eyes widen at the two girls. "El? What are you doing out?" I ask. El, who's accompanied by Max, pales at being caught.

  
"Don't tell Dad." She says as Steve gives her and Max their ice-creams. _Seriously, she think's I'll rat her out?_ I shake my head. "I'm not a snitch. About time you left that shack. Just be safe you two. I mean it." I say, pointing at the two of them.

  
They smile and nod before skipping away to be the chaotic kids they are. I wave goodbye to Steve and go back into the break room.

  
The rest of the group is still trying to decode the recording, writing down words that they solve. I move over to my bag and sneak my pack of cigarettes from the side pocket. _While they're figuring out that code, might as well go figure out my shit._

  
I walk to the back door, leading to the hallway in the back, saying a little 'be back' over my shoulder. I get hums in return. I push the door open and walk over to the wall across from it. I lean against the wall and slide down to a sitting position. 

  
I pull a cigarette out of the pack and place it in my mouth. I put the pack in my pocket and raise my right hand to the cigarette. I light my thumb on fire and use it to light my cigarette. 

  
I breathe deeply, relishing in the way the smoke fills my lungs. I blow out gently, letting the smoke billow in front of me. I close my eyes and focus on the feeling. 

  
_Why am I seeing visions of Billy? Did something happen to him? And what was that thing that grabbed him?_ I flick the cigarette, letting ash fall off the end, as my thought consume me. 

  
I feel the air shift around me as I blow out more smoke. I open my eyes at the shift. I notice that the smoke isn't disappearing, instead it's hanging in mid air. 

  
"Great, what now?" I ask out loud, gritting my teeth. I feel an energy wash over my body. I don't recognize it. It's like a strong pull, pulling me to something. "Like hell I'm following that shit right now." I laugh bitterly. 

  
I raise my head. "If you're trying to show me something, why now? And maybe, tell me instead of show me." I say, raising my voice. "C'mon Mom." I plead. _Ever since last Winter, Mom hasn't appeared. If this is something she's trying to show me, why can't she just be here? Why'd she have to disappear?_

  
I get no answer, only the feeling of the pull disappearing. I sigh and bring the cigarette back to my lips as the air shifts again, unpausing time. I hear the door open, revealing a concerned Christine. 

  
"You know those kill, right?" She asks as she walks up to me, sitting right beside me. I shrug and drop the cigarette, stomping it out. "Well, a lot of things have tried killing me, might as well add another thing to the list."

  
"Are you okay?"

  
I look over at her from the corner of my eye, intrigued. "Just peachy. Why, you worried?"

  
She nods easily. "You didn't really explain what happened earlier. What really happened?" I sigh and look away from her. "A vision. I got those a lot last year."

  
"What do they show you?"

  
"Usually something bad. You wouldn't want to know."

  
"Yes I would. You're my friend and I'm concerned about you." I look over at her and see the sincerity in her eyes. I sigh again and rest my chin in my hand. "Alright, I'll tell you. But you can't tell the others. I don't want them to be worried."

  
She raises her hand and crosses over her heart. _Lame._ I laugh at the childish thing. I stretch my legs and lean back on the wall.

  
"Welp, last year, they showed me a lot of things to do with my family or the monster we were dealing with. But now...I think it's a monster again. And it has someone I know. I don't know what to do." I tell her, and she listens. She processes what I said and thinks for a second.

  
"Well, if it has someone you know, we should help them."

  
"But I don't know how."

  
"Well, maybe you're already helping them. By seeing them, or maybe all of this is connected. The Russians and the monsters. I know you told me that the lab was the reason behind the monsters, but what if the Russians are connected as well?" _She makes a good point. Not a lot of the stuff that's happened so far wasn't connected to some monster._

  
I pat her hand in thanks. "Thanks for the perspective, Christy. I really needed it." She smiles back. I stand up, stretching my hand out for her to take. "If we're gonna help this guy, might as well figure out the code. I have a feeling we're close to cracking it soon."

  
**Time Skip**

  
By the time we figured out the code, it was well after dark and the mall was already closed. We were the only ones left in the mall. We stand in front of the board and read the code out loud.

  
"The week is long, the silver cat feeds, when blue meets yellow in the west." _The fuck does this mean?_ We all sigh and make our way out of Scoops Ahoy. I hold my bag close to me as Steve locks up. 

  
"I mean, it just can't be right." He groans. Robin rolls her eyes and walks ahead with Dustin and Christine. "It's right."

  
"Honestly, I think it's great news." Dustin looks on the bright side. 

  
"How is this great news?" Steve asks, bringing the pessimistic side to the conversation. "So much for being American heroes. It's total nonsense."

  
I scoff and run my hand through my hair as I walk backwards. "It's not nonsense. It's too specific, which means it's a code." I point out. Christine nods from beside me, her hair bouncing. "She sounds right. It would make sense too. It's not like they were going to say, 'Fire the warhead at noon'." She laughs at the idea.

  
We begin to pass by a kid's ride, a small little mechanical pony. I stop immediately. _Wait a minute..._ Steve notices me stopping. He looks at the pony, and he seems to have the same thought I do. _The music..._

  
"Steve, Sarah? What are you two doing?" Robin calls to us. We ignore her and dig into our pockets for a quarter. I come up short. _Maybe there's some in my bag!_ I drop my bag and start to dig through it

  
"Do any of you have a quarter?" Steve asks as we search. I look through each pocket and still can't find a single quarter. _Dammit! The one time I don't have change on me!_ Robin laughs at him as they walk over to us.

  
"You sure you're tall enough for that ride?" She teases.

  
"Quarter!" Steve and I yell at them, trying to convey the importance of the situation. Christine tosses us a quarter and I catch it. I nod in thanks and spin around to pop it into the pony.

  
The pony comes to life and a song plays as it rocks. _It is! Holy shit, then that means..._ Steve and I crouch down next to the pony, waiting to hear the whole song to prove my suspicions. "Need help getting on, Little Stevie?" Robin teases, making Christine giggle. Robin's smile immediately gets bigger once she does.

  
Steve and I shush them as we listen more. After a few moments, Dustin seems to catch on. "Holy shit, the music!" He says. He digs into his bag and pulls out the tape recorder. He plays it right at the part when the music plays, and it's an exact match.

  
"I don't understand." Christine and Robin say.

  
"It's the same music."

  
"Maybe they have horses like this in Russia." 

  
"Indiana Flyer? I don't think so." I say, shaking my head as I stand up. "This code didn't come from Russia. It came from here." Steve finishes for me, standing up as well.

  
We all look at one another, nervousness and fear clear on all our faces. _Maybe the Russians are linked to that pull from earlier. If they are, we're in a lot more shit than we originally thought._


	46. Cracked The Code

**Sarah's POV**

  
I lean against the wall outside of the Scoops Ahoy, next to Christine. "So, I'm stuck looking for the evil Russians with Steve and Dustin. What are you doing?" I ask her. She shrugs and looks over to The Gap.

  
"Have to get back to work. Come get me when you got something?" She asks. I nod and she walks off. I sigh and wait for Steve and Dustin to get here. _Where are those guys?_ As if my mind was read, both boys run up to me, Steve holding a pair of binoculars. 

  
"Really?" I ask, rolling my eyes at the binoculars. Steve nods and Dustin rolls his eyes as well. "Well, how else are we going to spy on one from afar?" I shrug, not even bothering. I follow them to a fake plant and sit down on the chair next to it.

  
Like the weirdos they are, they crouch down behind it and begin to spy on people. I sigh and shake my head. _At least they're spying. If only it looked less weird._

  
Steve looks around, but there's no pattern to it. _It's like he doesn't know what to look for. Can't blame him, I mean, what does an 'evil Russian' look like?_ "What am I looking for?" He asks. _Called it._

  
"Evil Russians." Dustin responds.

  
"Yeah, I don't know what an evil Russian looks like." Steve shrugs, still looking around.

  
"Tall, blond, no smiling." Steve and I hum and he goes back to looking. I look around at the people around us and find no one looking suspicious. "Also, look for ear pieces, camo, duffle bags. That sort of thing."

  
Steve continues to look around, humming every so often. I look up at the second story, watching people walk around, smiling and laughing. _Wish I was like them. Blissfully unaware of the horrors of the world._

  
I sigh and jump at a sudden crash of lightning. Steve and Dustin look over at me because of the sudden movement. "You okay Sarah?" Steve asks, putting a hand on my shoulder.

  
I nod and cover his hand with mine. "Yeah, just didn't expect the thunder." He nods, but doesn't move his hand. He hands me the binoculars. "Your turn." I nod and take them.

  
I bring them up to my eyes and watch everyone closer. I see a few couples walk around, laughing and smiling together. _Nothing out of the ordinary._ I look to the side and notice A guy with sunglasses and long blond hair carrying a duffle bag. _Maybe?_

  
"Hey g-" I try to say, but a cough cuts through my words. I cover my mouth with my arm and drop the binoculars. The coughing starts to get worse, beginning to hurt. I fell the hand on my shoulder squeeze.

  
"Sarah? What's happening?" Dustin asks. I put my other hand out, trying to reassure him that I'm fine, but it's not that easy. Considering last year, the sight of me coughing violently brings up a lot of painful memories.

  
I cough again and try to clear my throat. The coughing stops, finally, leaving my throat feeling scratchy. I move my arm and freeze at the sight of fresh blood. _Shit, again?!_ My hands shake a little as I let my arm drop.

  
"Sarah, are you okay?" Steve asks, moving me so I can look at him. I nod shallowly and look away from his eyes. "M'fine." I shove the binoculars into Dustin's hands. "I found a guy. Sunglasses and blond hair." 

  
Dustin nods quickly and looks for the guy I described. Steve doesn't let my shoulder go, opting to rub it comfortingly. He pulls me into his side, and I melt. I sigh at his warmth.  
"Are you sure you're okay? Did you have a vision?" He asks again. I shake my head and pat his hand reassuringly. "I'm fine Steve, no visions. I promise, I'm fine." I move my head and kiss his cheek, trying to get him to stop worrying.

  
It works, luckily. Dustin stands up, still staring at the guy. "Target acquired. Let's go." I nod and push myself up, pulling Steve up as well. Dustin begins to run around the mall, making us run to try and follow him.

  
He runs up the escalator, pushing past many people. I apologize as I run past them as well. We get really close to the guy, so Dustin makes us slow down. "He'll see us. Slow down."

  
"We're losing him." Steve retorts, but he isn't paying attention, so he runs into someone. "Watch it Dickwad!" The guy yells.

  
The guy we're following turns around at the noise, making Steve and Dustin hide on the side. I roll my eyes and walk over to the railing, acting casual. I hear Dustin pretend to talk to someone on the phone, just making him look even more suspicious.

  
I shake my head and chuckle under my breath. I look back over at the guy and watch him walk to a Jazzercise class, full of middle aged woman. _Shit, not an evil Russian._ I shake my head and turn around to look at Steve and Dustin, but they're gone.

  
I walk to the Jazzercise class, and find both of them watching behind a pillar. They're just staring as the guy instructs his class. I shake my head and sneak up behind them. I raise both hands and smack the back of their heads. "Weirdos, stop staring."

  
They groan and rub their heads. "C'mon, let's head back to Robin." I say and begin walking, not waiting for them. I hear them follow though. We walk in silence until we make it to Scoops Ahoy.

  
Robin runs out from the back, looking like she's in a hurry. She pushes past us and to the center of the mall. "Robin?" I mutter, following her quickly. I stand in front of her as she looks around, muttering something under her breath.

  
"Robin, what are you doing?" I ask, climbing up to where she is. "A trip to China sounds nice." Is all she says.

  
"What?"

  
"It's a clue, a code." _A clue? Wait, if it's in the mall, then it has to be the Chinese place!_ I shake her and point over to the Chinese place Christine and I go to. She writes it down and looks at the next sentence. "If you tread lightly."

  
I look around, trying to decipher it. _Tread...so maybe something with footwear._ Robin hits my shoulder and points at a store on the second floor, writing it down as well.

  
"When blue and yellow meet in the west." I look around, not really knowing what that could be. _It's not as easy as the Treads one._ I turn towards the front entrance to the mall and stare at the clock, noticing the blue and yellow colors of the hands. "The clock!"

  
She smiles and looks at me proudly. "We did it." She mutters. I nod and smile wide. "Guys, what's going on?" Christine asks, surprising us.

  
I hop down seeing Steve and Dustin walk up to us as well. "We cracked it."

  
"Cracked what?"

  
"The code." Robin says.

  
**Time Skip**

  
I shiver as we all lay on the roof in the pouring rain, waiting for the Russians. I hold my rain jacket tighter against myself as the rain beats down on my back. _I'll be lucky if I don't catch a cold._

  
"Look for Imperial Panda and Kaufman Shoes." Robin tells us. Dustin nods from beside me, holding the binoculars close to his face. He points down at the delivery men. "They're with that whistling guy. Ten o' clock."

  
"What do you think's in there?" Christine asks, teeth chattering loudly.

  
"Guns, bombs?"

  
"Chemical weapons."

  
"Whatever it is, they're armed to the teeth." Dustin yells over the rain. The guy who was whistling walks into the building, to a storage unit. "What's in there?" Robin asks.

  
"Just more boxes."

  
"Let me see." Steve says, trying to take the binoculars from Dustin. Key word is 'trying'. Dustin fights him for it, turning it into a game of tug of war, but they ultimately drop the binoculars. It makes a loud sound, no doubt alerting the guys with guns.

  
I duck down, grabbing hold of Steve's hand. I breathe heavily, listening for anything. I hear someone talk in Russian, no doubt saying nothing good. 

  
"Shit!" I hiss, realizing that we might get caught. I push Steve and robin and rush over to the door leading to the stair case. "We gotta go. Like now!" They all nod and run inside with me following behind, We walk through a side door, somehow missing the Russians.

  
I march in front of us all, trying to get as far away as I can. "Looks like we found your Russians." Christine gasps, voice tired.

  
I nod in agreement and raise my hand. I focus on all the water soaking us to the bone and flick my wrist. Immediately, the water evaporates, leaving us dry. I hear gasps behind me. I look over my shoulder to see their shacked and amazed faces.

  
"Looks like I'm getting better at that." I remark, feeling a small smile spread on my features. I walk back over to Christine and grab her wrist. "We need to talk."

  
She nods and lets me drag her off, leaving the others standing there, confused. I pull her over to an empty store, making her face me. "Christine, you saw that room, right?"

  
"Of course, how could I not?"

  
"So you know, that it can't be a simple storage room, right?"

  
"I guess."

  
"Then I need you to do me a favor." I say, finally letting go of her wrist. She nods, waiting for me to ask. "I need blueprints of the mall, and that includes the vent system to. Do you think you and your connections can do that?"

  
She thinks for a moment before nodding. "They may be confused and a little suspicious of why, but I'm sure I can get that."

  
"Good. If we have the blueprints, maybe we can find another way in besides that door."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry (Late) Christmas!!! Hope yall had an awesome Christmas. So, this chapter was a little slow, but it'll definitely get better soon. Why do you guys think she's coughing up blood again, and do you think she'll talk to Steve about it? What do you think will happen next? And quick question, if I were to write another story, what would you want it to be about, and would yall wanna see it? If you have requests for stories, please feel free to put it in the comments! Stay Curious~Lunar


	47. Erica Joins The Troop

**Sarah's POV**

  
Dustin has been on the roof for a while. Steve, Robin, and I are waiting for him in the break room. I light one of my fingers on fire and transfer it to each finger, making it dance back and forth. 

  
Robin watches, intrigue in her eyes. "So, that doesn't hurt you?" She asks. I shake my head and focus on the fire. "Not at all. But I'm not entirely fire proof." She tilts her head in confusion.

  
I point at my hair. "I burnt it last year. Had to cut off a couple inches of hair." I close my hand and the flame dies. Steve nods, remembering it as well. "Yeah, it was weird. I hadn't seen you with short hair since we were in first grade."

  
"And it was only short because _someone_ put gum in it." I say, playfully glaring at him. He blushes, looking down and laughing awkwardly. Robin snickers under her breath.

  
Suddenly, the door to the break room opens. Dustin walks in, carrying the binoculars in one hand. "What'd you find out?" Steve asks, clearing his throat.

  
Dustin puts the binoculars on the table and begins to pace back and forth. "There's a key card that opens the door. Unfortunately, the Russian with this keycard also has a massive gun. Whatever's in this room, in those boxes, they really don't want anybody finding it."

  
Robin sighs and shakes her head. "Well, there has to be a way in." I open my mouth to speak, but Steve beats me to the punch. "Well, I can just take him out."

  
I roll my eyes and face palm. "Take who out?" Robin asks.

  
"The Russian guard." He looks at our doubting faces. "What? I just sneak up behind him, knock him out, and take his keycard. It's easy."

  
"Maybe easy for me, but definitely not for you." I speak up.

  
"And why would it be easy for you?"

  
I raise my hand and light it on fire, answering his question. Dustin sighs. "Did either of you two listen to the part about the massive gun?"

  
I extinguish the fire and cross my arms. "Of course. Pretty hard thing to ignore."

  
"Yeah. That's why _I_ would be sneaking." 

  
Dustin sighs again and squeezes his temple. "Answer me honestly, have either of you actually won a fight?" I snort and nod my head. "Of course." He raises an eyebrow, doubting me. "Really, Johnathan and Billy?"

  
I scoff. "For one, I didn't fight Johnathan. I only had a black eye because he elbowed me when I was trying to get him off of him." I say, pointing at Steve. "I'll give you the Billy one, but I did break his nose, but besides that, every fight I've been in, I've won." I count my winnings out for them. "The Demogorgon, multiple demodogs, and Jessica Forgin from 5th grade."

  
I smirk triumphantly and cross my arms. Dustin sighs and looks over at Steve, waiting for him to defend himself. They begin to argue, Robin and I watching in amusement, but after a while, it grows annoying.

  
I look over at the window and see Christine enter Scoops Ahoy, holding a large rolled up piece of paper. I put myself between them, cutting them off. 

  
"Girls, girls, you're both pretty, but we have more important matters at hand." I say, making Robin laugh again. Christine enters the break room, smiling wide. I look up at her and point at the paper. "That it?"

  
She nods and unrolls it on the table. "Just like you asked, an entire blueprint of Star Court Mall, with vent system." I smile and look down at it.

  
"Blueprints?" The other three ask, looking at the blueprints as well. 

  
"Yup, while you guys were freaking out, I asked Christine to get us these. With these, we can find a way into that storage room without getting caught." I point at the far end of the map, closest to me.

  
"This is us, and we need to get to here." I say, tracing my fingers to the opposite side of the map. Steve shakes his head, confused. "There's no way in."

  
Christine takes over for me. "Well you're right, if we're talking about door only." She traces some of the blue lines on the paper. "This room, just like any other room, need ventilation. So that means there's a way through the ducts."

  
"I'm the only one that can fit." Dustin says. _Wait, what?_ He and Steve leave the break room. I look over at Robin and Christine, arms once again crossed. "I think we're going to need someone smaller."

  
"Well, do you know anyone else?" Christine asks. 

  
"What about that kid you used to babysit? The one that keeps eating the free samples." Robin suggests as Steve and Dustin run back in with a ladder, flashlight, and a screwdriver.

  
They set up the ladder and Steve gets to work removing the vent cover. _Hmm, maybe Erica could help. But she would never do it without something in return, and knowing her, it's gonna be a big price._

  
Steve opens the vent and looks down it. "You sure you'll be able to fit? It's like, super tight."

  
"I'll fit. No collar bones, remember?" Dustin says as Steve climbs down the ladder. "What?" Robin and Christine ask, confused and a little shocked.

  
Dustin ignores them as he climbs the ladder, trying to climb into the vent. Steve wipes his nose, looking at us. "He's got some disease. Chrydo something. He's missing bones and stuff, he can bend like Gumbo."

  
"You mean Gumby?" Christine asks, correcting him. 

  
"I'm pretty sure it's Gumbo."

  
"Steve, just shut up and push me!" Dustin yells from inside the vent. His lower half is still sticking out. _Knew he wouldn't fit_. I sigh and look behind me, hearing an annoying dinging coming from the counter.

  
Erica is standing there, glaring at me as she rings the bell. I turn to leave, hearing Steve argue with Dustin. Something about his ass. I don't really wanna know. I walk to the counter and slap a smile on my face.

  
"Erica, just the kid I was looking for." She rolls her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I want my free sample." She sasses. I nod, trying to keep my smile on my face. 

  
"I'll get you a free sample, if you do something for me." She raises an eyebrow. "And why would I do that?"

  
"If you don't, I can personally band you and your friends from getting ice-cream here, let alone free samples." Her eyes widen. Her hand moves away from the bell, falling to her side. "You wouldn't."

  
I smirk, staring her in the eyes. "Oh, but I would." She sighs and waits for me to ask the favor, caving in. I smile and move the barrier, letting her come behind the counter. I open the break room and let her walk in first.

  
"Dustin, get out of the vent!" I yell at the screaming boy. With a little help from Steve, Dustin slides out of the vent and jumps onto the ground. His eyes widen when he sees Erica.

  
I point up to the vent Dustin was just in. "You think you can fit up there?" I ask her. She looks at it for a moment before shrugging. "Oh I can fit. I just don't know if I want to."

  
"Are you claustrophobic?" Robin asks. Erica scoffs and shakes her head. "I don't have any phobias."

  
"So what's the problem?" Christine asks, tilting her head to the side.

  
"The problem is, I still haven't heard what's in it for Erica." Erica sasses again. I sigh because I know exactly what she wants. 

  
I nod for everyone to follow me out of the room. I lead them to a booth, and Erica sits down with an evil smile on her face. I walk back to the counter and start scooping out every flavor of ice-cream I know she wants. _They're her favorite samples anyway._

  
I finish scooping everything and carry it all over to her. "Well?" I ask, hands on my hips as she looks at it all. She pushes back one of the ice-creams. "More fudge please."

  
I sigh through my nose and look over at Steve, pleading with my eyes that he'll do it. He nods his head and takes the ice-cream back for me. I stop him before he goes and kiss his cheek. "Thanks." I whisper.

  
He smiles and walks off. I take his seat and rest my elbows on the table. Robin pulls out the blueprints and begins to show her the path she has to go. "We just wait until the last delivery goes out tonight. Then you knock out the grate, jump down, open the door."

  
"Then you find out what's in those boxes?" Erica questions.

  
"Exactly."

  
"You say this guard is armed?" Erica pushes further, messing with one of her many ice-creams. Dustin nods with a smile. "Yes, but he won't be there."

  
"And booby traps?"

  
"Booby traps?" Christine asks, confused even more.

  
"Lasers, spikes in the wall? You know what this half baked plan of yours sounds like to me? Child endangerment." I stiffen and ball my hands into fists, getting frustrated. I sigh through my nose again and say sternly, "We'll be in radio contact with you the entire time."

  
"Child endangerment!"

  
Dustin sucks in a breath. "Erica, hi, we think these Russians want to do harm to our country. Great harm. Don't you love your country?"

  
"You can't spell 'America' without 'Erica'." We all look at her, realizing that she's kind of right. _Weird._

  
Dustin stutters over his next sentence. "Uh, y-yeah. Oddly, that's, uh, totally true." He quickly recovers though. "So, don't do this for us. Do it for your country, do it your fellow man."

  
She slurps up her root beer float, moving her straw around. "I just got the chills." Dustin smiles, thinking he's convinced her, but I know better. "From the float, not from your speech."

  
She turns to the rest of us, an evil smile gracing her features yet again. "You know what I love most about this county? Capitalism. You know what that is?" We all nod, waiting for her to make her point. "It means, this is a free market system. Which means people get paid for their services, depending on how valuable their contributions are. And it seems to me, my ability to fit into that little vent is very, very valuable to you all."

  
"So, you want my help? These ice-creams better be the first of many. I'm talking, free ice-cream for life." She eats a cherry, as if she's rubbing it in our faces that she's won.   
I sigh and nod. "Fine, free ice-cream for life. But, " I say, holding up my finger. "You tell anyone, and I mean anyone, about any of this, not just the vent thing, you lose that free ice-cream, including the free samples. Understand?" She nods, smile not falling. 

  
_What kind of debt have we gotten ourselves into?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry about the long wait. my mental health hasn't been at it's highest recently, so I wasn't able to get a chapter out before this. Obviously I will try to get back to my schedule, but it may be a little touch and go for a while because my metal health is still not where it should be. Hope yall liked the chapter!~Lunar


	48. The Storage Room

**Sarah's POV**

  
We all sit on the mall's roof, waiting for Erica to start moving. "Erica, do you copy?" I ask her through the walkie talkie. She answers back, voice slightly staticy. "Mmhmm, I copy. You nerds in position or what?"

  
"Yeah, we're in position." I answer her. I look at the others, who are all focused on the storage room door. Dustin's using the binoculars to see better. "It's all quiet here, so you've got the green light. Be careful."

  
"Commence operation, Child Endangerment."

  
I sigh at the name. "Can we maybe not call it that?" I ask, annoyed. She doesn't respond. I sigh again and put the radio on the ground. I lean back on my hands, staring at the storage room. "Now, we wait." I mumble.

  
Nobody shifts their gaze away from the door. The air around us is so tense, you could cut through it with a knife. _Why is it, whenever something good happens, Hawkins just has to have something crazy happen?_

  
I cough suddenly, making the others look back at me. "You good?" Christine asks, leaning back with me. I nod and wave my hand at her, covering my mouth with a fist as a few more coughs come up. It's not as bad as yesterday, so there's no blood.

  
I drop my hand and feel heat bloom in my chest, as if something was burning. I hiss under my breath, luckily not gaining anyone's attention. _What's going on now? Is it something with Billy again?_

  
Suddenly, the radio next to me comes to life with Erica's voice. "All right, nerds. I'm there."

  
I pick it up and lean forward, closer to the edge. "You see anything?" I ask. I hear her scoff from the other end. "Yeah, I see those boring boxes you're so excited about."

  
"Any guards?"

  
"Negative."

  
"Booby traps?"

  
"If I could see them, they'd be pretty shit traps, wouldn't they?" She sasses, making a small chuckle leave me. it's quiet on her end again. I look down at the radio in confusion. What happened? I look up again and see the doors leading to the storage room open.

  
Erica walks out, hands on her hips. "Free ice-cream. For Life." I smile and push myself up, grabbing my bag. I turn around quickly and walk to the door leading to the stairs. "Well, let's go." I say over my shoulder.

  
I rush down the stairs, taking two at a time. _I just want to find out what's going on and be done with it, but, from past experience, this is probably going to bring up more questions. Only one way to find out._

  
I run out of the mall and over to the storage room, the others following behind me. I walk in, looking at all the boxes. Wonder what could be in them. I grab one from a shelf and bring it to the center of the room.

  
The others surround me, staring at the box in wonder, and slight fear. "You got anything to open that?" Steve asks, gesturing to the box. I nod and reach into my bag, fishing out a pocket knife.

  
"Why do you have a pocket knife on you?" Robin asks, voice raising in pitch at the end. I shrug and cut the box open. "Never know when you might need one."

  
I open the flaps on the box, revealing another box. But unlike the one it's in, this one is made of metal. Steve reaches in and opens that box. The top comes off easily, with steam coming out. Inside are four containers.

  
"That's definitely not Chinese food." He remarks. I nod. he reaches in again, attempting to take one out, and we all lean in closer to watch, but he notices that. "Maybe you guys should, you know, stand back." I roll my eyes, but comply.

  
I cross my arms, waiting for him to continue. But he doesn't when he notices that Dustin didn't move back. They begin to argue, with Dustin ending it with a loud, "If you die, I die."

  
I groan and walk closer, reaching into the box. "No one's going to die. Not grab one, you pansies." I pull one out, eyes wide as I'm bathed in green light.

  
The container is filled with some kind of green liquid, floating around like it was a lava lamp. "What the fuck?" I whisper. The others crowd around me, quiet.

  
I hold it with both hands, trying to inspect it closer, but the room suddenly shakes, making me almost fall. "Is it just me, or did the room move?" Dustin asks, looking around.

  
"Booby traps." Erica whispers. _Alright Data, enough about the booby traps._ Robin reaches forward and grabs the container from my hand. "Let's just take this and go." I nod and Dustin moves over to the control panel near the door.

  
"Which button do I press, Erica?" He asks, voice sounding urgent. 

  
"Just press the damn button, nerd."

  
"Which one? I'm pressing the button."

  
"Press, open door."

  
"I'm pressing, open door." 

  
Steve pushes Dustin away from the control panel and begins to press random buttons. I step forward, trying to make them stop. "Steve, I wouldn't press those buttons willy nilly if I were you."

  
"I got this Sarah, don't worry." He reassures me, but it only makes me worry more. "Seriously Steve, something could happen if you press the wrong bu-"

  
Guess what he fucking did.

  
He pressed the wrong button.

  
Not only did it not get us out, oh no, it made the room plummet down, what seemed like an elevator shaft. I crouch down low and grab onto the table next to me, trying to keep steady. Everyone screams as we fall. Robin and Christine hold on to each other, screaming their heads off.

  
I move, on shaky feet, to the control panel, trying to find a button that might stop us from falling. "Push the button!" Dustin yells at me.

  
"Which one?!"

  
"Any button!!!"

  
I follow his orders and start pressing random buttons. _If a random guess got us into this mess, then a random guess could get us out._ I press the biggest button on the panel, smashing it with my fist, and the room stutters to a stop.

  
I fall to the ground at the sudden stop, hitting my chin and biting my tongue on impact. My mouth fills with the coppery taste of blood. "My groin, it fell on my groin." I hear Steve groan from behind me.

  
I spit out the blood in my mouth, wiping away the blood on my lips. My tongue stings, but I think I'll be fine. _I've had worse injuries._

  
"Is everyone okay?" Christine asks through a strained voice. I give her a weak thumbs up. Someone puts their hand in front of my face, making me look up. It's Steve, and he does not look happy. "Yeah, I'm great, now that I know that Russians can't design elevators!" He yells while pulling me up.

  
I run my hand through my hair as I feel the heat rise in my body due to my frustration. Steve turns to the control panel, not letting go of my hand, and starts to press random buttons.

I smack his other hand away. "Button mashing got us into this mess, I don't think it's a smart decision to try it again."

  
"But they're bound to work this time." He argues. 

  
"We've already established that those buttons don't work." Robin comments.

  
"They're buttons, they have to do something."

  
"Yeah, if we had a keycard."

  
"A what?"

  
I point at the card reader. "It's an electronic lock. Same as the loading dock door. If we don't have a keycard, it won't operate."

  
Dustin speaks up, frustration clear as day. "That means we're stuck in here." Erica waves her hands around, making us all look a her.

  
"Just so you nerds are aware, I'm supposed to be spending the night at Tina's, and Tina always covers for me. But if I'm not home for Uncle Jack's party tomorrow and my mom finds out you five are responsible, she's gonna hunt you down, one by one, and slit your throat." _I know Mrs.Sinclair, so I know that Erica ain't lying._

  
Steve slams his hands on one of the boxes. "I don't care about Tina!" He snaps. "Or Uncle Jack's party! your mom's not gonna be able to find us if we're dead in a Russian elevator." I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. but I don't do a very good job, considering I can't even calm myself down.

  
_How are we going to get out?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so this week's chapter was a little slow, but we finally have them in the Russian facility! Be prepared, because this now means that things are going to get pretty crazy. I'm really excited to bring in all my crazy ideas that I've been saving for this specific season! Hope you like the chapter. Stay Curious!~Lunar


	49. A Way Out?

**Sarah's POV**

  
"What if we climbed out?" 

  
We all look over at Dustin as he points up at an opening in the ceiling. I walk over to it, so I'm under it, and gesture for Steve to get closer to me. "Lift me up?" I ask. He nods and crouches down, holding his hands together to act as a foot hold for me.

  
I step into his hands and push myself up, reaching towards the opening. I push it open more, making room for me to get through. I grab onto the edge and pull myself up the rest of the way.

  
I groan as I push myself onto the top of the elevator. Not wasting time though, I reach down to the rest, helping Dustin up. Dustin gets up easily, walking around the top once he's up. I reach down again for Steve, and he come's up just as easily. 

  
I look up at the elevator shaft, hands heating up at the sight of the dark shaft, with no light anywhere. "What were you saying about climbing?" I ask, wrapping my arms around myself. My voice echoes throughout the elevator shaft, making me sigh.

  
 _There's no way out. We're stuck down here_. I start to pace back and forth, running my hands through my hair. "We're doomed." I mumble to myself. "We're doomed, and no one's going to save us. We're going to be stuck down here until the Russians find us!" I yell the last part, looking over at Steve and Dustin in panic.

  
"They're probably going to torture us." My voice cracks in the middle of the sentence as my body heat flares up again. Steve walks over to me, pulling me into a hug. He holds my head to his chest, his heartbeat calming me down. "It's going to alright, Sarah." He reassures me. "We're going to get out of here."

  
I nod my head and wrap my arms around him, holding him as close to me as I can. _He's right. We're going to get out. I'll make sure of it._ I sigh and move my head away, letting go of him in the process. 

  
I walk back over to the opening and look back at Steve and Dustin. "I'm going to stay down here with the others, keep them company." And with that, I hop down back into the elevator.

  
I stumble a little with my landing, falling back on my ass. Robin rushes over to me, helping me up. "You okay?" She asks. I rub my backside a little and nod. "Yeah, but my ass will probably hurt for a while."

  
She chuckles and moves back to the elevator door, trying to find a way out. I sigh and move to the back corner where Christine is. She doesn't look like she's faring very well. She looks flushed, and her eyes are wide as she looks around.

  
"You okay?"

  
She nods quietly and slides down the wall to sit. I sigh and sit down next to her, back to the wall. "You got any ideas to help get out?" I ask her. watching Robin mess with the control panel. 

  
Christine shrugs. "Think one of your powers can do anything?"

  
I scoff and roll my eyes. "Please, fire is a no go, could make our position worse actually. Plus, I've never been able to burn through metal. Water wouldn't work, but it could help us survive. And time freezing wouldn't solve anything either." She sighs at that. 

  
I lean my head back on the wall, looking around the room. _Nothing really looks useful. And I can't really use anything from my bag._ I look over at said bag, thinking of something.

  
 _If I can get messages from people through visions, maybe I can do the same?_ I tap Christine on the shoulder, making her look at me. She hums in question. "If I pass out, don't panic, alright?"

  
"What?!"

  
"I'm about to try something that might help us, but I could pass out. I'll be fine though, okay?" Hesitantly, she nods, still not fully understanding me. I close my eyes and breathe slowly.

  
 _C'mon, I gotta contact someone._ I open my eyes and find myself in the familiar void. _Okay, it's working so far..._ I look around, seeing no one. "El?" I call, knowing that she's the only person I could really contact. She's the only other person who can do this as well.

  
I cup my hands around my mouth and call out again. "Eleven?" I get no answer. I walk around, calling out to her as I do. But every time, I get no answer. 

  
"ELEVEN?" Suddenly, my body runs cold. The hair on the back of my neck stands as I feel something move behind me. I spin around quickly, being met with multiple people. Their faces are all blank, no features on them.

  
They're humming, filling the void with their chilling voices. "The hell?" I say to myself. I back up, away from them, but I bump into something. I look up slowly, coming face to face with a fleshy monster.

  
I scream and move closer to the people, legs shaking as I stare at the monster. But, for some reason, this gross, fleshy monster seems almost familiar. _It can't be, can it?_

  
The monster roars at me, making the void shake. And I can hear it echoing in my head, like I can hear the hatred in the roar.

  
I feel myself shake as I cover my ears. I smell the coppery scent of blood as my nose bleeds. "I-It's not real. It's n-not real!" I tell myself over and over again.

  
I close my eyes and try to get back to the real world. "Sarah!" I hear multiple voices yelling. I open my eyes again and find myself back in the elevator. 

  
Everyone is in front of me, all wearing the same worried looks. I gulp nervously and quickly push myself up. I push past them and walk over to the door, ignoring their stares.

  
"Sarah? What happened?" I hear Christine ask. I calm my breathing and wipe the blood from my nose. "N-nothing."

  
"But you were smoking." She points out. I sigh and turn around, facing all of them. "Nothing happened, okay?" They don't push, but their stares stay the same. _This is going to be a long night._

  
I groan under my breath and walk over to the opening, pulling some boxes over to me. I use the boxes as a step stool and pull myself onto the top of the elevator.

  
I sigh at the silence. I sit down near the edge and look up at the dark shaft above me. _I need to get out of here. If that thing is what I think it is, then everybody's in danger._

  
I stand up and light my right hand on fire. I rear my arm back and throw the ball of fire up, illuminating the shaft as it flies up, but even then, it doesn't seem to get very far. _I wonder how far we are down here._

  
"Careful, you might set the whole place on fire." Steve's voice comes from behind me. I sigh and shrug. "Maybe that was my plan." I joke, turning to face him. 

  
"What are you doing up here?" I ask.

  
"Could ask you the same thing."

  
"I needed air."

  
"What happened down there?" Steve cuts to the chase, walking over to me. I look down, crossing my arms. "Nothing."

  
"You're lying. You always look down when you lie." He points out. I groan and look back up at him, eyes narrowed. "It's really nothing. I just saw something."

  
"You wanna talk about it?" He asks quietly, now standing right in front of me. I sigh and look him in his eyes, breaking a little. "Kinda." 

  
I sit down, him following my lead, and I rest my head on his shoulder. "I tried seeing if I could contact El, with that weird mind thing I can do, but it backfired."

  
"Backfired how?"

  
"I think I saw the Mind Flayer again." He looks down at me as I take his hand. "But, didn't we get rid of that last year?" I shrug and play with his fingers, trying to distract myself. "I thought so, but what if we didn't? What am I supposed to do?"

  
He grabs my hand, interlocking our finger. I look up at him and see a reassuring smile on his face. "If anything happens, I'll help you with it. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there, alright?"

  
I smile back and lean my head back on his shoulder. "Alright."

  
**Time Skip**

  
8 hours have passed since we've been stuck down here. We're all restless. Dustin's on the top of the elevator, trying for the umpteenth time to get a hold of someone on the surface with his walkie talkie. 

  
Steve's up there with him, trying to get him to stop. The rest of us are sitting around the elevator, bored out of our minds. 

  
I pull a pack of cigarettes out from my bag and take one out. I place it in my mouth and rise my thumb to light it, but Christine takes it out of my mouth. "What the hell?" I ask.  
"These can kill you." She says simply, tossing it away from me. I roll my eyes and cross my arms, leaning back against the wall.

  
Suddenly, we hear the sound of water trickling down the wall. I look over at the opposite wall from me, where luckily no one is sitting, and scrunch my nose in disgust.

  
"Can you redirect your stream please?" Robin yells up at Steve. _Gross!_ Even grosser, we see it move to the corner. Robin and Christine groan in disgust. 

  
I look over at Erica, who's surprisingly been quiet, until now at least. She's holding one of the cannisters of green liquid, and is trying to open it by banging it against another container. 

  
We all jump up and race over to her, to make her stop. "Careful!" Christine yells, taking the cannister from her. "We don't even know what that it."

  
"Exactly, it could be useful." Erica reasons. "How?" I ask.

  
Erica rolls her eyes. "We can survive down here a long time without food, but if the human body doesn't get water, it will die."

  
"I hate to break it to you, but this isn't water. Plus, Sarah can conjure water, so I'm sure we'll be fine." Christine points out, handing the cannister to me.

  
Erica rolls her eyes again and places her hands on her hips. "No, but it's a liquid. Plus, if Sarah can do that, how do you know if it's sanitary?" 

  
Before any one of us can answer, the sound of something coming alerts us all. "Guys!" I yell up to Steve and Dustin. "We got company!" 

  
I push the girls over to the opening, cupping my hands to help them up. Steve helps pull them up from the top. First goes Erica, then Christine, then Robin. The sound gets louder the longer we take.

  
"Jump up!" Steve hisses at me as he extends his hand. I jump and reach for his hand, trying to help myself up with the boxes. Luckily, he pulls me up without incident. 

  
And just as we cover the opening, two Russians walk into the room. The talk to each other idly as they grab boxes and load them onto a trolley. I look at everyone, making sure that they're okay, when I freeze.

  
Erica is holding the same cannister from earlier. _Really?_ I shake my head and hear both Russians leave down the hall they came from. They close the elevator behind them. Luckily, it closes slowly, so I push open the opening and hop down back into the elevator.

  
"Give me the cannister!" I hiss at Erica. She raises an eyebrow, but does as she's told. _Surprising._ I grab it from her and stand it underneath the closing door, stopping it from closing completely. "Come on!"

  
The all hop down and slide under the closing door, one at a time. The cannister begins to crack under the pressure. I usher everyone out, Steve getting out last. I crouch down to get out, but the cannister suddenly shatters, letting the door close completely. I jump back, now alone in the elevator.

  
"Sarah!" I hear them yell from the other side. They all bang on the door, trying to get back in. "I'm fine, I'll figure something out!" I tell them through the door. _What the fuck am I supposed to do!?!?_

  
I look around for anything to help me, but I come up empty handed. I look down at my hands and an idea comes to mind. _If I focus hard enough on my fire, maybe I could burn through the door. Always a good time for firsts, right?_

  
I breathe in slowly and feel heat spread through my arms, gathering in my hands. I breathe out and place both hands on the door. I begin to push against the door, pushing all the heat in my body into my hands.

  
I groan under my breath as I push with all my might. After a bit of pushing, my hand begin to sink into the metal door. _Holy shit, it's working!_ My head begins to throb and my nose starts to bleed as I burn through the door.

  
I move my hands around, trying to make a hole big enough for me to get through. Molten metal drip down around me, some of it landing on my arms, burning me instantly. I hold back my winces and push through.

  
After a while, I begin to get through the door, meeting the surprised faces of the Scoop Troop. The metal around the hole melts further, making a hole big enough for me to get through. 

  
I feel the heat in my arms disappear as I step through. "Told you I'd figure something out." I smile weakly. My knees buckle and give out from underneath me. I hear someone rush over to me as I fall.

  
They catch me, holding me by the shoulders. I look up and see Steve's concerned face. "Are you okay?" He asks, helping me stand up.

  
I wipe my nose, getting rid of the blood, and smile tiredly at him. "Little burned, but I'll live."

  
"I thought you said you couldn't burn through metal." Christine says, making me look over at her. I shrug and lean on Steve. "I thought I couldn't. Guess I can." 

  
I use Steve as a support and look down the hall, leading to God knows where. I sigh softly and take a shaky step forward. 

  
"Where does this lead?" Dustin asks quietly.

  
"No clue. Only one way to find out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sarah's fire power has now been upgraded!!! Wonder if her powers are going to evolve any further. What do you think? Hope you like this chapter! I'm finally getting back to longer chapters. Stay Curious!~Lunar


	50. Captured

**Sarah's POV**

  
We all walk down the long, empty hallway. I keep my arm around Steve's shoulders to keep myself steady because my legs haven't stopped shaking since I burned the metal door. _Looks like that upgrade came with a cost._

  
We walk in silence for a while, with Dustin looking around in wonder. _What's so great about this place? It's a long ass hallway leading to God knows where._ I wipe my nose, wiping away some of the blood I forgot to clean.

  
"Sarah, are you okay? You almost passed out earlier." Steve asks, looking down at me. I shrug the best I can. "I'll be fine. Just never melted anything like that before. It just took a lot of energy." I reassure him. He nods, but doesn't bother hiding the concern on his face.

  
"Have you always been able to do that?" Erica speaks up, making us all look at her. I smile nervously and look down. "Yup, since the day I was born." I see her nod out of the corner of my eye, looking down as well.

  
"I mean, you have to admit, as a feat of engineering alone, this is impressive." Dustin says, changing the topic easily. Steve scoffs. "What are you talking about? It's a total fire hazard. There's no stairs, no exit."

  
"Especially with a arsonist down here." I comment, laughing lightly at my own joke. I take my arm off of Steve's shoulders, trying to walk normally. "They're commies. You don't pay people, they cut corners." Erica sasses, holding onto her backpack straps.

  
"To be fair to our Russian comrades, I don't think this tunnel was designed for walking." Christine comments as she runs her hand on the pipes lining the walls. "Think about it, they developed the perfect system for transporting that cargo."

  
Dustin hops on, nodding along. "It all comes into the mall like any old delivery." Robin nods from beside Christine. "Then they load it on that elevator and no one's the wiser."

  
"You think they built this whole mall just so they could transport that green poison?" Steve asks. I scoff and walk ahead of them. I turn around to face them, walking backwards as I talk. "Please, knowing this town, it has to be something much bigger than just some measly little poison. It's probably something like promethium." _Yes, I'm a nerd. Sue me._

  
They begin to talk about what promethium is, so I begin to tune them out. I turn around again and walk a little more ahead. There are no turns, and no exits anywhere. I feel the air shift around me, like it was becoming stale. _Please, not now._

  
Suddenly, it's silent. I turn around and see all of them stuck, frozen in time. Great, what's going on now? I feel that pull from a few days ago, but now it's much stronger. _What is this?_

  
I walk over to one of the walls and place both hands on the pipes. "What are you trying to show me?" I ask to no one. I feel the pull get even stronger than before, to where it physically pains me.

  
I groan in pain as I slide down the wall, feeling the pain get worse. _Why does this always happen?_ I feel this cold feeling wash over me, like if I was in the Upside Down again. I wrap my hands around myself as the pain worsens.

  
I sit down fully and lean against the wall of pipes, feeling my head go fuzzy. My nose begins to bleed, making the familiar smell of copper fill my senses. "Fuck. Make this stop." I mumble to myself.

  
I feel the air move around me, as time goes back to normal, but the pain does not leave. The sounds of the group's voices fill the tunnel, distracting me from the pain briefly.

  
"Sarah?!" I hear Steve say. I hear rushed footsteps meet me as I see Steve crouch down in front of me. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

  
"Do I look it?" I snap, hissing through my teeth.

  
"Does this always happen when she uses her powers?" Erica asks, pointing at me. I bite my lip, holding back a remark, and try to focus on something besides the pain. "Do I need to do something? Can I do something?" Steve fusses, looking around. 

  
I shake my head, feeling myself bite through my lip and causing it to bleed. "No, I'll be fine. Just a f-freak out. Keep going, just let me take a breather." They look at each other, not knowing what to do.

  
"If it's a freak out, we should stay." Steve urges, resting his hand on my shoulder. I shake my head again. "No, no, it's fine. Really. I'll catch up." He looks like he's going to fight me on this, but I give him a stern glare, making him back down immediately.

  
He stands up, still looking me in the eye. "Fine, but I'm staying here with you." He turns to the others and nods for them to go on ahead. "We'll catch up." Liking the idea of Steve staying with me, they nod and start walking.

  
I glare up at Steve, hissing at him through my teeth. "I told you to go on ahead. I can handle myself." He shakes his head and sits down across me, putting his hand on my knee comfortingly.

  
Truth be told, I'm actually glad he stayed with me. He leans forward and wipes away the blood from under my nose, making me blush at the small gesture. "I know you can handle yourself just fine, but you made a promise. You promised that I wouldn't lose you, and I'm just making sure you won't break that promise."

  
I smile weakly at him. He returns it, but it quickly melts into a concerned frown. "What was this one about?" He asks, mentioning the freak out. 

  
I shake my head and put one hand on the one holding my knee. "It's not like the ones last year, so don't worry. It's just this weird feeling, like some kind of pull. It just started to hurt real bad."

  
"A pull? You don't think the Russians know about last year?"

  
I nod my head. "I'm almost certain they know. Why else would this all be happening?" I ask, gesturing to myself. Suddenly, the sound of static fills the tunnel, followed by the sound of a familiar code. We turn to the others, who are looking back at us.

  
"The code." We all breathe out. They hurry to get the walkie talkie out of Erica's bag, while Steve helps me up. "You going to be okay?"

  
I nod again, giving him a reassuring smile. "The pain's barely there anymore. I'll be fine." He nods, believing me, and helps me rush over to the walkie talkie.

  
We listen closely to the Russian, and I'm absolutely certain it's the code. Christine nods her head as she listens closely. "The code." She whispers.

  
"Wherever that broadcast is coming from..." Dustin starts, and Robin finishes his thought. "It's close. And if there's one thing we know about that signal..."

  
"It can reach the surface." 

  
And with that, we all run down the hall, trying to find wherever that broadcast is coming from. Christine races ahead of us, her head turning, looking everywhere. Suddenly, she stops at a set of lockers, hiding behind them.

  
We slow down, going over to her. I lean forward, trying to see what we're hiding from, and immediately see a bunch of Russians walking about. _Fuck, there's so many._

  
We all wait behind the locker, Steve or I looking over to see if there's an opening. It's Steve's turn to look over, and when he does, he nods. "Clear."

  
"That was close." Christine says, nervously chewing on her fingernails.

  
"Too close." Robin agrees, placing her hand on Christine's shoulder.

  
We turn the corner and meet an opening leading to a hub, filled with Russians transporting boxes. "Fuck." I whisper, moving behind a cart and hiding. The others follow my lead, all breathing heavily.

  
"Red Dawn."

  
"I saw it. First floor, northwest." Erica whispers, looking at Steve and I.

  
"Saw what?" Steve asks.

  
"The comms room.

  
"You saw the comms room?"

  
"Yes. The door was open for a second, and I saw a bunch of lights and machines and shit in there."

  
"That could be a hundred different things." Christine hisses at her, hiding behind Robin and practically on top of her. Robin turns to her. "I'll take those odds."

  
I nod, agreeing. I look over the cart and look for a way we can get to that room. There's a bunch of Russians crowded near that room though. _We're gonna need a distraction_. I look over at the opposite area and don't see any Russians over there.

  
I smirk to myself, coming up with a plan. "Okay, move fast and move low." I hear Steve whisper to us. I light my finger on fire and flick it over in the direction of the empty corner. 

  
It lands on a box, setting it on fire. The Russians near the room notice it and rush over to it to put it out. "Come on." I nod, rushing over to the room.

  
"I guess that works too." I hear Steve whisper. One Russian comes out of the room, going over to the fire, leaving the door open long enough for us all to get into the room.

  
Steve quietly closes it behind us, gaining no attention. I sigh in relief and turn around, leaning against the door, but I guess I sighed too soon. Sitting at one of the control panels is a man. He turns around to face us, standing up quickly and moving to grab his gun.

  
Robin stops him, saying something in Russian. _Maybe I should have learned a bit before this._ He says something back, clearly confused. This goes on for a while before he finally reaches down for his gun.

  
I clench my fist, ready to fight him, but Steve beats me to the punch. Literally. He charges at the guy and swings a punch, but the guy dodges. The guy begins to get the upper hand, but Steve elbows him in the gut, making him fall over. Steve grabs one of the microphones and hits the guy with it, knocking him out. 

  
Steve breathes heavily as he looks down at his work. "Hey, you won your first fight!" Dustin cheers, smiling wide. I smile with him, crossing my arms proudly. 

  
Steve smiles back at us, holding himself a little higher than before. Dustin rushes over to the knocked out Russian and grabs something from his belt. "What are you doing?" Erica asks.

  
"Getting us our ticket out of here." Erica and Dustin begin to argue about what to do next, but I look over at Steve. I walk over to him and ambush him with a hug. 

  
"Look at you, winning fights all by yourself! I'm proud of you." I gush, kissing his cheek as a reward. He blushes and laughs at my antics.

  
"Guys?" We suddenly hear Robin say. We look over at her, seeing her standing in front of a staircase with Christine standing at the top. "There's something up there." She leads us up the stairs and to the door.

  
Suddenly, that pull is back, and stronger than ever. I groan under my breath and try to ignore it. Christine opens the door and helps us into another room. I walk through first, seeing a room made of primarily glass.

  
My eyes widen at the sight in front of me. There's a huge machine, shooting some kind of laser at a horrifying sight I never wanted to see again.

  
A giant opening to the Upside Down. I move away from the glass and back up into the door. My heart begins to beat fast and I begin to hyperventilate. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck." I whisper, reaching for the door knob.

  
"Sarah?" Robin asks, looking back at me. I shake my head and open the door. "No, I'm not dealing with this shit! I'm not going back." I leave the room and walk down the stairs.

  
"Wait, what do you mean, 'go back'? You've seen this before?" She asks, following me. The rest follow me as well.

  
"I meant what I said. I'm not going back to that horrible place. I'd rather die!"

  
"Sarah, calm down. You're not going back, I promise." Steve says, grabbing my hand and stopping me. I look back at him, feeling my eyes tear up. He pulls me closer into a hug. 

  
Christine clears her throat, but I don't move from Steve's warm embrace. Right now, this is the only place I've felt safe, so I really need this. "What is that place? How bad is it?"  
"Think, 'end of the world' bad." Dustin explains for me.

  
"Where's the Russian dude?" Erica asks, gaining our attention. I look around the room, and sure enough, the guy from before is gone. _Shit._

  
An alarm blares over the comms, making everyone jump. _Shit!_ Steve lets go of me and moves to the door. "Shit." He says, with men yelling in Russian following. 

  
"They saw you?" Christine yells, biting her nails again. Instead of responding, Steve yells at us to run. We go the only way we can. Back to the door leading to the Gate.

  
I push everyone in front of me and throw water on the stairs behind us, giving us a better head start. "Move move!" I yell. We run through a room full of Russain scientists, and push past all of them.

  
We run out into the open area with the large machine. We stop at the side of the machine, not seeing a way out. I turn around and see all the Russian officers coming for us. 

  
_I have to do something._ I try to push all the heat in my body into my hands, to try to put fire between the Russians and us, but nothing happens. It's like the Gate is taking my heat. 

  
"Guys, my fire's not lighting! We gotta do something!" I yell at them. Steve looks around and notices a staircase leading to another door.

  
He pulls us to it and pushes us through the door. Once all of us are through, he uses his body as a barricade. "Look for a way out!" I yell at everyone. Dustin and Erica look around the room while Christine and Robin help us hold the door closed. 

  
"Found one! Let's go!" Erica yells, opening a floor panel. We all struggle to keep the door closed. "Come on, let's go!" Dustin yells at us.

  
"Go. Get out of here!" We yell at him.

  
"But-"

  
"GO!"

  
He looks at us, the escape, then back at us. "I won't forget you!" And with those as his final words, he leaves and closes the escape behind him. As soon as he leaves, the Russian officers manage to throw open the door, making us all fall.

  
They all aim their guns at us. Instinctively, I raise my hands in surrender. Christine leans over to me. "that fire would be nice right about now." She whispers in my ear.   
I glare at her and whisper back. "I told you, my fire's not working."

  
One officer notices us talking and gets closer, aiming his gun threateningly at us. He yells something I can't understand, but I think I get the gist of it. _Stop talking or he shoots._

  
_Well shit. What do we do now?_


	51. Interrogated

**Sarah's POV**

  
I spit out a large glob of blood as a Russian guard glares at me, rubbing his knuckles. "Th-that the best you got? My grandma can hit harder than that." I tease, feeling blood drip from my lips.

  
"Sarah, stop antagonizing them!" Christine scolds me. She's tied up in a chair behind me. We're back to back, tied to chairs, as the Russians try to interrogate us. Luckily, I've been the only one who's been hit so far.

  
 _Probably because of my smart mouth_. The Russian guard grabs my hair, making me face him. I hide my wince and glare hard at him. _If only my powers were working, I could burn this bitch so easily._ I sit still as he leans down, closer to my face.

  
"I'm going to ask you this question again, Suka. Who do you work for?"

  
"How many times I have to tell you, bastard? I work for a god damn ice cream shop called Scoops Ahoy." I laugh in a mocking tone. For that comment, he punches me again, making me cry out in pain. 

  
Christine struggles behind me. "Stop hurting her! We're telling the truth!" I clench my fists and try to heat up, but nothing happens. _C'mon stupid powers. Be useful!_ The Russian guard pulls at my hair again, making me face him once again.

  
I can hear him growl under his breath, obviously extremely annoyed with me. "I'm going to ask you one last time. Who do you work for?" I gather all of the blood and spit in my mouth and spit on him.

  
The blood hits him straight on his nose. He lets go of my hair, wiping away the blood. "I've told you already asshole. I work for an ice-cream shop. You really think I would dress this dorky on purpose?! Please, how stupid can you be?" 

  
He glares at me and punches me in the gut. I start to cough, feeling the air leave me. He punches me again, for good measure I'm guessing. "Fuck!" I yell out in pain.

"Stop please!" Christine begs.

  
The Russian guard looks over at her before smirking down at me. He takes a step away from me and looks back at Christine. "You seem to care much for this girl. Wonder what would happen if I..." He trails off. 

  
He grabs my throat and pulls me closer, choking me slightly. Christine yells again, struggling more. "Tell me the truth, and your friend here with suffer less."

  
"Christy, don't tell him shit!" Another punch.

  
"We told you the truth! We just work at the mall. She was missing a shipment, so she asked me to go with her to check the storage room. While in there, it turned into an elevator, and that's how we got down here!" 

  
The guard tsks and tightens his grip on my neck. I sputter out a breath, feeling the constriction. "I swear!" She urges, sounding desperate. "L-listen to her y-you ass." I hiss with the little breath I have.

  
The guard glares at me again, but he lets go of my throat. I gulp down air greedily. He moves away, walking over to the door next to us. "Seems like the loud one is swaying your words. Maybe the doctor can help with that."

  
He turns away from us and leaves out the door, locking it behind him. I slouch, feeling my face ache. I groan and squeeze my eyes shut.

  
I feel Christine move behind me, trying to face me. "Sarah, stay awake. They're getting you a doctor, okay? You'll be fine."

  
I scoff and roll my eyes, despite the pain. "Please, I doubt the doctor is anything good."

  
"Just stay awake then!"

  
I shake my head and feel a sting go through my temples. I wince and bite my lip, splitting it further. _What's going on now?_ "Sarah, what happened? Are you okay?" Christine worries.

  
"Besides the pain in my face, I'm fine. But I think something's happening on the surface."

  
"The surface? Are you having one of your visions?"

  
"I think? Just, if anything happens, wake me up when they come back." I plead. She hums in return. I sigh and try to relax. _Okay, Billy or the Mind Flayer, what do you want to show me now?_

  
I breathe out slowly and let myself slip into the darkness. I open my eyes slowly, but this time, I'm not met with the familiar void, no, I'm somewhere I haven't seen in a while.

  
 _My room at the cabin?_ I look around, and sure enough, it's the room Dad gave me whenever I spend the night at the cabin. It has all my posters and everything. _Why am I here?_

  
I hear voices coming from the other side of the door. I press my ear on the door, and I can hear two different voices. One, whimpering and scared, I can definitely tell is Eleven. But the other is weird.

  
It sounds like Billy, but not really him. Like, something darker. I slowly open the door, just a crack, and my blood runs cold at the sight in front of me.

  
Billy is cornering El against the table. She's crying and practically shaking in fear. I can only see Billy's back, but it doesn't really seem like Billy. It's like this dark aura is emanating from him. 

  
"We are going to end you. And then, we are going to end your friends." He says, getting closer to her. I clench my fist, and this time, it heats up. 

  
I open the door completely, and yell at him. "Hey asshole! Step away from my sister." I set my fist on fire and send the fire flying at him. The ball of fire hits him in the chest, and he disappears.

  
 _Hopefully, that Billy will stay gone._ I turn to El and rush over to her. I try to hold her face, but my hands go through her. "Sarah? Why are you here?"

  
My hands shake, but I try to keep my composure. "I don't know, but I'm glad I'm here. Listen, what was with Billy. That didn't look like Billy."

  
El starts to cry more, shaking her head furiously. "I-it's the Mind Flayer. Billy's a part of the flayed." My heart stops. _So the Mind Flayer really is back. Fuck._ I look back up at El, and try to hold her shoulder, but once again, my hand passes through her.

  
"El, listen to me. If anything happens, I need you to get to the Star Court Mall as quickly as possible. That's where we are. Can you do that?" She nods, tears slowing a little. I try to give her a reassuring smile, but it's barely there.

  
"We are going to get through this, I promise. But I have to go." She tries to grab my hand, trying to stop me, but just like the other times, it passes through.

  
I feel myself being shaken, so I close my eyes and breathe slowly again. When I open my eyes, I'm met with the face of the Russian guard. "Thought we almost lost you. Unfortunately, you're awake."

  
I glare at him and give him a teasing smirk. "Be honest, you would have missed me." He scoffs and moves away, letting a new face greet me.

  
He's a bald man with a apron. _Must be the doctor._ He pulls out some kind of syringe that looks more like a gun. "Wh-what is that?!" Nobody answers me.

  
I try to move away, but the guard grabs my head and keeps me still. I feel the doctor stick the syringe in my neck. I scream as loud as I can as he injects whatever's in the syringe into me.

  
**Christine's POV**

  
"What did you do to her?!" I scream as Sarah falls limp. The Russian guard walks over to me, smirk on his face. "Nothing to bad. That drug will mellow her out long enough for us to get information out of you." 

  
He turns away, gesturing for the doctor to follow. "While we wait for it to work, we will be doing the same to your comrades." And with that, both men leave.

  
I struggle as best as I can, but nothing works. _We need to get out of here. But with an unresponsive Sarah, what am I supposed to do?_ As if she heard her name, Sarah groans behind me.

  
I try to turn to her, a relieved smile crossing my features. "Sarah! Are you okay? How do you feel?"

  
She giggles in response. _Sarah giggling? That's weird_. Her giggles evolve into full on laughter. "Whatever they put in me, I want more. I like this stuff!" She shouts. She starts to make noises with her mouth, filling the quiet room.

  
_Great, the drug gave her the mind of a five year-old. If they come back and she's like this, what if she tells them about her powers, or worse? I need to do something._

  
I clear my throat, gaining her attention. "Sarah, h-how about we play a game, huh?"

  
She jumps a little at the idea. "Sure!"

  
"Good, good, it's a really fun game. And really easy too. All you have to do is be quiet. First one to talk losses, but if someone losses, the winner still has to be quiet until the game's over. Sound good?" I see her nod out of the corner of my eye. _That was easy._

  
We wait quietly. I look around the room for the hundredth time, trying to find a way out, but I come up short. After a few more minutes though, the guard comes back, a confident smirk stuck on his face.

  
He walks in and looks Sarah over. "Seems to be working. Now that she's finally shut up, we can finally get the answers we want."

  
He rubs his hands together and stands in front of me, forcing me to face him. "Now, who do you work for?"

  
"I work for the Gap at the mall. She works for Scoops Ahoy." I rush out, trying to mess with the rope that's keeping me restrained to the chair.

  
He sighs and slams his hands on the arms of the chair. "Liar! Who. Do. You. Work. For?" He yells again. _He's not believing me. Maybe if I answer him the way he wants, it could buy us some more time. Think of something!_

  
After a few panicked seconds, I sigh and begin to act. "Fine, you saw through us. If I tell you, you have to promise not to hurt her anymore." I say, gesturing with my head at Sarah.

  
He sighs in annoyance, but nods, intrigued by my lie. "We're from Derry Corp. It's a supernatural investigating facility in Maine. We got word from our Superior, Eddie K, that some weird stuff was going on down here. We came to investigate, that's it!" He nods and his smirk grows.

  
He walks over to the door, planning to leave, but I stop him. "But they know we're here! They've probably already sent squads after us." He scoffs and turns his head to face me. 

  
"Doubtful. If this is true, you won't mind me asking you comrades in the other room to make sure the story is straight." He laughs at that and leaves.

  
I relax and sigh loudly. _Thank god Derry was a small town, or else I would have never known that asthmatic kid's name._ I silently thank that poor kid.

  
I try to face Sarah, trying to catch her attention. "Okay, game's over. You win." She giggles again and makes more noises.

  
I look down at the rope and an idea comes to mind. "Sarah, how are your powers?"

  
"Awesome."

  
I shake my head. "Do you think you can burn through the rope?"

  
"I can try!" She starts to hum, and little sparks fly off her. I smile at her as I see her burn her rope. She stands up, proud of herself. She wears a goofy smile.

  
Suddenly, the alarm goes off over head. What now? I frantically look over at Sarah, who's looking for the thing that's causing the sound. "Sarah, untie me please!"

  
She nods and clumsily unties me, but she unties me all the same. I stand up quickly and grab her wrist. "Okay, no more fire for now. We need to find the others." Without another word, I pull her over to the door and shove it open. _Thank god that idiot forgot to lock it._

  
I pull her out into the hall and drag her around. I turn the corner and bump into the first friendly face here. "Dustin, Erica?"

  
"Christine?"

  
I look behind them and see a very drugged Steve and Robin. _Great, all three of them are drugged._ We hear people yell in Russian, and footsteps getting closer.

  
Dustin gestures for us to go down a hall. "Follow us, we know where to go!" I nod and we all race down the hall, trying to get out of this horrible base.

  
_We're in pretty deep._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So I decided to publish a little early! We're almost at the end of this season, so the last chapters are going to be finished earlier than scheduled. Also, I hoped you liked the point of view change, cause there's gonna be another one in the next chapter, so look forward to more loopy Sarah and tired Christine! Comment what you thought about the chapter! Stay Curious!~Lunar


	52. What's Up With Sarah?

**Christine's POV**

  
I jerk the wheel to the right as I make a turn, almost causing the cart to topple over. Dustin and Erica sit up front with me while the "drugged trio", as I'm calling them, are laying in the back.

  
They all make an 'off' sound, trying to remain balanced. "Slow down, will ya?" Steve slurs. I roll my eyes and speed up. Robin laughs. "Yeah, what is this, the Indie 500?"

  
"It's 300."

  
"No dingus, it's 500!"

  
"300!"

  
"Let's say, a million!" Sarah interjects. They all bust out laughing, giving me a splitting headache. _Please let this wear off soon._ Erica turns to me after sending a glare towards the laughing teenagers.

  
"What is wrong with them?"

  
I shrug as I make another turn. "The Russians drugged them with something that was supposed to make them calm down, I'm guessing. Obviously, that didn't work!" I look back at the hall, spotting the elevator that brought us here.

  
I slam on the break, making everyone shoot forward a little. I breathe heavily, looking around at everyone. "Is everyone okay?" I get a few groans, but no one looks to be really hurt.

  
I nod at Erica and Dustin to follow me out of the cart. We rush over to the back and open it so the trio can get out. "C'mon, we gotta go. Now." 

  
They just lie there, not moving. "Let's go!" Dustin yells, clapping his hands. Sarah whines, but gets out, making the other two follow. Dustin jogs up to the elevator door and uses a keycard he stole to open it.

  
I drag Robin and Sarah while Erica pushes Steve in to the elevator, and Dustin quickly shuts the doors. He presses a button and the elevator starts to shoot upward, making the three teenagers laugh hysterically.

  
Sarah falls down, a huge smile on her bloody face. "Woo! It's like a roller coaster!" She cheers. I shake my head and rub my temples. 

  
I grab her arm and pull her up, keeping her close to me. "From here on out, you stay by my side. Alright?" I tell her. She nods and shoots little finger guns, but water comes out of her finger, shooting me directly in the face.

  
I close my eyes and wipe my face. "Why are they acting this way?" Dustin asks. I open my eyes and put my other arm on Sarah's shoulder, trying to balance her. 

  
"I already told you. They were drugged." Dustin groans from where he's sitting. Steve is sitting next to him, touching his face and giggling. 

  
Dustin sighs. "Now I know how Sarah feels."

  
"Boop!" 

  
"Are they gonna die on us?"

  
"We all die, my strange little friend." Robin speaks up, creeping us all out. "It's just a matter of how... and when." _So philosophical high? Not what we really need._

  
I shake Sarah's shoulder, making her look up at me sleepily. "You got your keys?"

  
"What keys?"

  
"Your car keys."

  
Her eyes widen. "Nope. They're gone."

  
"How are they gone? Shouldn't they be inside your bag?"

  
She snaps her fingers, as if she just remembered. "Right, yeah, I lost my bag."

  
"Where did you lose it?"

  
"In the elevator."

  
I look around and spot her bag under one of the boxes. I look over at Erica and point at it. "Grab that bag, it's got our ticket out of here." She nods and grabs it. She hands it over to me. I nod in thanks and put it over my shoulders. 

  
All of a sudden, the elevator stops and the doors open. We all walk out, me holding Sarah's hand so she doesn't wander off. 

  
Robin gasps. "Oh my God, that tastes so good!" She yells. "Steve, can you taste the air?" _Really?!_ They laugh and talk while I'm preoccupied with keeping Sarah's powers in check.

  
She pokes my cheek while little sparks come off her arms. I don't stop her. I'm too tired to. I look ahead and see a gate opening. Two Russian guards notice us and yell at us.

  
I turn on my heel and pull Sarah with me. "Go!" I yell at the others. Dustin runs ahead, pushing Steve along, and opens a door. We all run in, Steve, Sarah, and Robin still giggling, as we run through the inner halls of the mall.

  
We bolt it down a hall, and I recognize one of the doors. "Over here." I whisper. I open the door and peek through. 

  
The cinema concession stand is empty. "All clear." We all walk quietly over to one of the viewing rooms.

  
I push open the doors and find a full theater. The people are all watching some movie that came out recently. 'Back to The Future' or something.

  
We lead the trio over to some free seats in the front. "You three. Sit." Dustin tells them.

  
"No, these seats are too close!" Robin whines. I push her down in her seat and sit Sarah down next to her. There's one last free seat, so I take it.

  
"Whatever you do, don't go anywhere." Dustin warns.

  
"Fine Dad." Steve sasses, shoveling popcorn into his face. _Where did he get that from?_ Dustin rolls his eyes as he and Erica leave to find more seats for them to hide in.

  
I sigh, finally relaxing. I look up at the movie, trying to distract myself. Surprisingly, they sit still and quiet. But only for a while.

  
Steve and Robin whisper to each other about the movie, but Sarah starts to fidget in her seat. She whines under her breath and starts to make faces. I lean over to her, concerned. 

  
"Sarah, what's going on?" I whisper to her.

  
"I don't feel good."

  
I look around before nodding, finding the coast to be clear. I place my hand on her wrist. "You want to head to the bathroom? Maybe get that drug out of your system?" She nods.

  
I get out of my chair and lead her out of the theater. We head to the bathroom. Her face turns pale as she walks in.

  
She pushes past me and rushes over to an open stall. She falls onto her knees and starts to vomit. I grimace, but walk forward and hold her hair back. At least she's getting it out. She continues to vomit, so I try to rub her back, trying to help her through it.

  
After a while, all of the dry heaving passes. She turns to me, wiping her mouth and groaning.

  
**Sarah's POV**

  
"What. Just happened?" I ask. My throat burns as I talk. Christine sits back, letting go of my hair. "You were drugged."

  
"That doesn't super explain the vomit." I tell her as I reach up to flush the toilet. "You had to get it out of your system." She explains easily.

  
I nod and lean against the stall wall, wiping away the sweat from my brow. "So we got out?"

  
"Yeah, but the Russians know."

  
"So we're still on the run?"

  
She hums, nodding her head. I groan again and let my head fall back on the stall wall. _Just perfect_. Suddenly, the bathroom door busts open and in run Steve and Robin.

  
They both run to a stall, and the sound of them puking follows shortly after. Christine and I grimace at the noise.

  
Luckily, the sound of the toilets flushing follows a while after.

  
"The ceiling stopped spinning for me. Did it stop for you?" Robin asks.

  
"Holy shit. No."

  
"The ceiling was spinning for you guys?" I ask. 

  
"Sarah? You were drugged too?" Steve asks, poking his hand under the stall. I smile weakly and grab his hand. "Sure was. Let me guess, how sore do you feel?"

  
"Pretty sore. Got the shit beaten out of me."

  
I laugh dryly and hit my head against the stall. "Man, we just can't seem to catch a break can we? I mean, this is the third year in a row we've had our asses kicked."

  
Everyone laughs at that. I close my eyes and let my mind rest for a moment. "You think we got all that shit out?" I ask.

  
"Don't know, let's test." Robin suggests. "Interrogate me." I hear Steve hum, before an idea comes to mind. "When was the last time you peed your pants?" 

  
"Today." I snort at her answer. "What?"

  
"When the Russian doctor took out the bone saw." Christine, Steve, and I begin to laugh. "It was just a little bit, though." She giggles.

  
Christine shakes her head and lies down on the floor. Her hair surrounds her like a halo. "All right, my turn. Christine," Robin starts.

  
Christine hums, waiting for her question. "When was the last time you lied to someone?"

  
She scoffs. "Today. Lied right to the Russian guard. And he ate it right up."

  
"What was it?" Steve asks.

  
"That we were part of some supernatural investigation team. It was a pretty bad lie, but he fell for it."

  
She points right at me, snapping her fingers. "Sarah, what is something that you keep forgetting about?"

  
I tilt my head to the side. _What is something that I always forget about? Well, I have pretty good memory, so I don't know._ I tap my fingers on the ground, really thinking.

  
 _Well, there is... oh shit._ I face palm, groaning at my stupidity. "Dammit, Chester!"

  
"Who?" Christine and Robin ask.

  
"Your dog?" Steve asks.

  
"Yes, my dog. Shit, what happened to him?" They all start belly laughing at my forgetfulness. I blush and shake my head. _What did happen? Where did he go?_

  
"Yeah yeah, whatever. Steve, you're up."

  
"Alright, hit me."

  
I shrug. "Can't think of one. Christine, you got one?"

  
She thinks it over before sitting up. "You ever been in love?"

  
"Twice." He answers.

  
"Who were they?" Robin asks. She pulls herself into our stall, looking over at Steve's. Christine and Robin smile at me, to which I look away.

  
"Well, Nancy Wheeler, and-"

  
"Wheeler? She's such a priss." Robin interrupts. Christine shushes her, swatting her shoulder for interrupting Steve. Steve laughs from the other stall. "Yeah, well, you'd be surprised. But anyway, the second girl...she's amazing."

  
I smile down at our hands, trying to hide my blushing face. "She's been my bestfriend since forever. We've gone through everything together. Like the normal stuff, awkward moments, high school, even going to the dance with each other, but we've also been through some crazy shit together. She's literally saved my ass more times than I can count."

  
He laughs at the end. "And honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. I look back, and question why I hadn't gotten with her sooner. She's the best thing in my life, and I wouldn't trade her for anything. I'm grateful she decided to confess last year." He pushes himself into our stall. 

  
He meets my gaze, a lovestruck look in his eyes. Once he pulls himself up, I wrap my arms around his neck and rest my head in the crook of his neck. "You mushy mother fucker." I say, smiling to myself.

  
I rest on him, feeling whole. We haven't been this close in a while, and I've missed it. I hear him clear his throat, making me look up. "Hey Robin, I hope we can still be friends though."

  
"What are you talking about?" Robin asks. I let go of Steve, opting to just sit beside him, and look at him. "I'm sorry I didn't feel the same way about you. But I hope we can still be friends."

  
 _Robin had a crush on him?_ Robin has this confused look, but it quickly shifts into recognition. "Oh no, I never had a crush on you. That's not why I was obsessed with you." 

  
"Then why were you obsessed?" Steve asks.

  
Robin immediately shuts herself in, looking away from all of us. "You would hate me if you knew why."

  
 _That's stupid, literally nothing could make me hate her._ I reach over and grab her hand. She looks up at me, a nervous look on her face. "Robin, I don't know if you've noticed, but you literally survived evil Russians with us. After going through that with you, I don't think anything could make us hate you."

  
I give her a reassuring smile, and she seems to calm down. She breathes deeply, getting herself ready to say whatever she needs to. "I wasn't obsessed with you because I had a crush on you. It's because..." She pauses, seeming to psych herself out, before breathing again.

  
"She wouldn't stop staring at you."

  
Christine's eyes widen as she stares at her. Steve tilts his head to the side. "Mrs.Click?" He asks. Robin laughs and shakes her head. "Tammy Thompson. I wanted her to look at me. But...she couldn't pull her eyes away from you and your stupid hair. And I didn't understand, because you were a douchebag." 

  
Her voice gets thick and her eyes get watery. "And you didn't even like her. I would go home and just scream into my pillow." 

  
_She liked Tammy Thompson? She likes girls? That's supposed to make me hate her? She likes girls, what of it? She could like unicorns for all I care, and she'd still be one of my best friends._

  
"But Tammy Thompson's a girl." Steve says, still confused. Robin's silence seems to clear everything up for him. It's quiet between us all. Robin refuses to look at any of us.

  
"I mean." Steve starts, seeming to notice Robin's face. "Tammy Thompson, she's cute and all, but she's a total dud." 

  
Robin scoffs. "She is not." I laugh and nod along with Steve. "She totally is. Honestly, there were so many girls that were way better than her. Like that girl, Tina, the one that hosted the Halloween party last year. She's cute _and_ she's actually pretty cool. If I were you, I'd go with someone like her."

  
Robin laughs. Steve continues for me. "Plus, she wanted to be a singer, move to Nashville or some shit. She can't even hold a tune." He tries to mimic her singing, and it's absolutely horrible. Robin laughs even harder. "Shut up. She doesn't sound like that."

  
"She sounds just like that."

  
"You sound like a Muppet."

  
" _She_ sounds like a Muppet. She sounds like a Muppet giving birth." We all begin to laugh and imitate Tammy's singing, purposely sounding horrible. I look over at Christine, taking notice of her quietness.

  
She seems to be stuck in her head. I reach over and grab her hand. She looks over at me, eyes still a little wide. 'You okay?' I mouth at her, tilting my head to the side just a little. She nods and doesn't meet my eyes. _That's weird. Wonder what's bothering her?_

  
Suddenly, interrupting our laughing, the bathroom door slams open. And angry looking Dustin and Erica walk in. "What the hell?" Dustin asks, hands on his hips. 

  
Not being able to hold it in, we all bust out laughing at his stance. A few tears escape as I laugh harder. _God, I needed this. I wish it could last forever._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. I've had some things going on recently that made me lose the inspiration to keep writing. But I've picked myself up and forced myself to write another chapter. I guarantee that I'll actually be getting more chapters out soon, just not on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. Sorry if the bathroom scene felt a little weird, I'm not the best with mushy or meaningful moments. Hope yall liked this chapter, and what do yall think is up with Christine? Stay Curious~Lunar


	53. Gang's All Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment you've been waiting for, the crossover of the century.

**Sarah's POV**

  
"And..." Dustin whispers. We all wait for his cue as we watch people leave the theatre. "Blend." He hurries us into the crowd. We all keep out heads down, trying to not look suspicious.

  
Erica looks around and smiles. "Shit, that worked."

  
"Of course it worked. We just need to get on the bus with the rest of these plebes and then it's home sweet home, here we come." Dustin sighs. Steve pales a little beside me. I raise an eyebrow. _What did he do?_

  
"Uh, Dustin?" He stammers, scratching at his face nervously. "What?" Dustin asks, not looking back at him. "We might not wanna go to your house." Steve warns. 

  
"Why?"

  
"Well, I might have told them your full name." My mouth drops _. Seriously?! How?_ Dustin stammers, shocked. "What is wrong with you?" He hisses in a hushed voice.

  
Steve tries to defend himself. "Dude, I was drugged."

  
"So?"

  
"So?"

  
"So you resist. You tough it out, like a man."

  
"Oh yeah, it's easy for you to say." Steve rolls his eyes. I shake my head. _Great, then who's house can we hide at now?_ I feel someone grab my arm, making me stop. 

  
I look over and see Christine staring ahead of us, eyes wide. "Guys?" I follow her gaze and immediately feel my blood run cold. Ahead of us are Russian guards, identifying every person that passes.

  
 _Shit, we can't let them see us._ I grab onto Steve's arm and pull him back. "Abort!" I tell them, turning around and running the other way. I hear them follow behind me. 

  
We run to the escalators, finally looking back. I notice two of the Russian guards are following us. I look back at the escalators and an idea pops into my head.

  
I squeeze myself onto the middle part between each escalator and push off using the sides. I slide down to the second floor and stutter to a stop at the bottom. I quickly move out of the way and watch the others do the same.

  
I frantically look around for a place to hide, and I spot the closed corndog hut. "This way." I tell them as I lead them over. I hop over the counter and crouch down behind it. 

  
"You think this'll work?" Robin asks as she crouches down beside me. 

  
I shake my head. "Nope, but I'm hoping it will." We all stay quiet and slowly everybody begins to leave the mall.

  
I poke my head up to see, and find, at least, five guards looking for us. I duck down quickly and press myself against the counter. "Shit." I hiss under my breath.

  
"What's wrong?" Steve whispers.

  
"Bunch of guards looking for us. no way out without them seeing."

  
"Can't you just fry them?" Erica whispers, sinking lower onto the ground.

  
"Nope, I have a strict, no frying people policy. But, I could make a distract-" I stop talking suddenly, hearing footsteps getting closer to where we're hiding. _Fuck! How am I supposed to fight five guards, with big guns?!_

  
I feel someone grab my hand. I look down at our hands, and look up to see Steve. He's giving me a reassuring look, but it does nothing to calm me down. I breathe heavily, feeling my body heat flare in fear. I'm just expecting, waiting, for the guards to grab me.

  
But it seems like luck is finally on my side. A car alarm randomly goes off near us, making the guards stop moving. _Wait, car alarm? But the only car in here is the prize car, and I don't think it even has the keys._

  
I swallow dryly and steel my nerves. I grab onto the counter and slowly pull myself up. I feel the others try to pull me back, but I have to see what's causing the car to do that. _Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction saved it. Let's hope we do a little more saving, and a little less killing._

  
I peer over the counter and see the car acting crazy. It's beeping and moving, the lights are on. _There's only one thing that could make it do that without the keys._ I look up at the upper level of the mall, and a wide smile crosses my face.

  
Eleven, along with the rest of the party and Johnathan and Nancy, are all standing together. Eleven thrusts her arm out, making the car go flying towards the guards. It knocks over four of them, killing them instantly.

  
The fifth one stares in fear at the bodies, but his eyes wander over to me. He raises his gun, ready to shoot, but I send a turret of water into him, causing him to go flying, and most likely joining the others.

  
I stand up straight and look up at the others. I smirk at them and raise a hand. "Was wondering when you'd all join the party!" I shout to them.

  
I hop over the counter and run over to the escalator, meeting them in the middle. I hear the rest of my group follow me. 

  
Mike helps El down the escalator, acting as a crutch for her. Everyone begins to reunite with someone. 

  
Nancy surprisingly runs over to me. She crushes me in a hug. "Where have you been?" She asks.

  
"Busy with work stuff? Where have _you_ been?"

  
"Busy with work stuff."

  
"What are you doing here?" I hear Lucas ask.

  
"Ask them, it's their fault." Erica sasses, pointing over at us. Nancy lets go of me and I awkwardly run my hand through my hair. Steve, somehow not embarrassed, admits it. "True yeah, it's absolutely our fault."

  
Robin and Christine look around, frantic and confused. "What just happened to that car?" Robin asks.

  
"El has superpowers." Dustin explains.

  
"Like Sarah?" Christine assumes.

  
"Not exactly. She can move things with her mind." Dustin explains further, gesturing towards El. Everyone begins to talk over each other, filling in the other group on the Russian situation.

  
There's also a bunch of introductions, but I don't pay attention. I notice El leave the group, seeming distracted. I step away from the group and reach out to her.

  
She covers her ears and suddenly falls. I move quickly to her, hearing the others take notice. "What's wrong?" Mike asks, kneeling beside her head.

  
"My leg." She moans in pain. I look over at her legs, and watch Johnathan and Nancy roll up her pant leg. It reveals a bloody mess and a dirty bandage. They take off the bandage and show an injury that looks like it's infected.

  
Some gag, others gasp. I move Dustin away and take his spot. "What the hell happened while I was gone?" I ask, looking straight at Johnathan. Before he can answer, something begins moving from inside El's shin.

  
El cries in pain at the movement. "What is that?!" I yell, backing up a little. No one answers me. I look over at Johnathan for some kind of explanation, but he's already looking at me.

  
"I got a plan." He says. He stands up and points at her. "Keep her talking. Keep her awake." He motions for me to follow. 

  
I follow without hesitation. He leads me to the Chinese place in the food court. He vaults over the counter, but I stay on the outside. "What's going on Johnathan?"

  
"The Mind Flayer attacked her and something latched on to her leg."

  
"So your plan is to...what exactly?" I ask, not really understanding what he wants to do. He pulls open drawers and grabs a wooden spoon. "Get it out." He replies curtly. He grabs gloves and moves to a knife rack. 

  
I shoot my hands out, making sounds to stop him. "You are _not_ cutting her leg open with a knife!"

  
"Then how else are we going to get it out?"

  
"Heat."

  
"What?" He asks, no longer reaching for the knives. I take a step away from the counter, ready to run back to El. "Anything from the Upside Down hates heat. So, whatever latched on must also hate it. If we open her leg with something hot enough, it could make it want to get out."

  
"What's hot enough?"

  
"ME!" I yell.

  
He rolls his eyes and jumps over the counter. "We don't need to burn her leg off." He follows me back to El, keeping up a quick pace.

  
"If I concentrate hard enough, I could make it to where my fire will act like a laser, it'll make a clean cut."

  
"Could work." We skid to a halt in front of the group. "Sorry, I ramble when I'm nervous." Robin says, out of breath. _Whatever, rambling counts as a distraction._

  
I slide onto my knees, with Johnathan sitting down next to me. He hands her the spoon. "This is gonna hurt like hell okay? Need you to stay still. You're gonna wanna bite down on this." Mike takes the spoon and brings it to her mouth.

  
She bites down. Hard. Johnathan slips on his gloves and nods to me. I sigh and summon all the heat in my body. I light one finger on fire, and the fire's thin and blue. "Sorry El." I whisper as I move my hand close to her leg.

  
I amplify the heat and begin to make a cut. El screams in pain, but it is muffled slightly by the spoon. I finish the cut and move back, cooling my hand down and making the flame disappear.

  
Johnathan swallows thickly and brings his hand to the cut. He slowly sticks his hand inside trying to grab whatever's in her leg. El screams even louder.

  
Everyone makes noises of discomfort at the sight. I stop a gag as Johnathan desperately tries to find it. Once he starts digging around aimlessly, I reach over and pull his arm out. "Stop! It's not working." I yell at him.

  
He apologizes, shaken by what he had to do. El sobs quietly. She drops the spoon and tries to lean up. "I can do it." She cries. We all watch with baited breath as she reaches out towards her leg.

  
She cries as her skin moves, searching for the thing that latched onto her. She gets louder the longer she tries. 

  
Her screams are almost deafening by the time we can see the parasite. Because of her voice and her concentration, the glass next to us shatters. 

  
I raise my hands up and shoot water out at the glass. It forms into a wall, catching the glass before it can fall on us.

  
"When could she do that?" Max asks, looking at the water.

  
El yells one more time and the parasite is pulled out. It looks like one of the legs of the Mind Flayer. El, in pain and rage, throws the parasite away from her, still screaming.

  
I reach over to her, still keeping one hand up to hold the wall, and heat up my other hand. "This is gonna hurt like a bitch, but if I don't do it, you could bleed out." I warn her.

  
I press my heated hand onto her leg, cauterizing the wound. She yells again, but it's over quickly. I move my hand, and the wound's closed up.

  
Suddenly, I hear a boot stomp on the ground. I look over, slowly letting the water wall fall and keep the glass from falling on us, and I am greeted with two familiar faces and one new one.

  
Standing before us are the only adults of our group. Mom and Dad. _Seems like the gang's all here. That can mean nothing good._


	54. What If?

**Sarah's POV**

  
"Holy shit." I whisper. I quickly run up, and launch myself in Mom's arms. "Holy shit, you're okay!" I gush, holding her tightly.

  
"Where have you been?" She asks, pulling away and making me face her. I look down sheepishly. "Not important, we need to talk about the Mind Flayer." I pull away completely and take her hand.

  
I lead her over to the rest of the group, Dad and the newcomer following behind. I gesture to Mike. "You've been dealing with this thing, you should start us off."

  
He nods and immediately begins. "The Mind Flayer, it built this monster in Hawkins, to stop El, to kill her and pave a way into our world."

  
"And it almost did. That was just one tiny piece." Nancy continues. 

  
"How big is this thing?" Hopper asks.

  
"It's big. Thirty feet at least." Johnathan guesses.

  
"Yeah, and it sorta destroyed your cabin. Sorry." Lucas apologizes. I cover my mouth and sigh. _Shit. How are we gonna deal with this, this time?_

  
Steve waves his hand, gaining our attention. "Okay, just to be clear, this...this big fleshy spider thing that hurt El, it's some kind of gigantic weapon?" Nancy tries to confirm it, but I shake my head.

  
I lean forward, wrapping my arms around myself. "It's much more than a measly weapon, more like a doomsday device. Except this one has a conscious." I feel someone grab my arm in a comforting way. I look over and meet Mom's gaze.

  
"Are we sure this thing is still out there, still alive?" She asks.

  
"Definitely, I would have felt otherwise." I say, patting her hand.

  
Christine raises her hand. "How would you have 'felt' it?"

  
 _Right, she doesn't know about the stupid connection._ I shake my head and dismiss her question with a wave of my hand. "Long story." She nods, knowing that that's the most she'll get out of me. 

  
"But if we close the gate again-"

  
"Cut the mind off of the body-"

  
"And kill it. Theoretically." Lucas, Max, and Will all come up with a plan. _Just like last year, I guess._

  
"Yoo-Hoo!" The new guy yells, waving papers back and forth, getting our attention. He slams a piece of paper down onto a table next to us. We all crowd around him as he points at it.

  
It's a map of the Russian base. _Could've really used that down there. Wait, how did he get one?_ He frantically points at one of the bigger boxes. "Okay, this is what Alexi called 'the hub'. Now, the hub takes us to the vault room."

  
"Where's the gate?" Hopper asks.

  
"Right here," he says, pointing at another box, "I don't know the scale on this, but I think it's fairly close to the vault room, maybe 50 feet or so."

  
I snort at the guess, knowing that that's no where near how far it really is. Erica feels the same. "More like 500." Everybody turns to her, most confused.

  
She pays them no mind. "What, you think you're just gonna waltz in there like it's commie Disneyland or something?"

  
"I'm sorry, who are you?"

  
"Erica Sinclair. Who are you?"

  
"Murry Bauman."

  
"Listen, Mr.Bunman, I'm not trying to tell you how to do things, but I've been down in that shithole for 24 hours. And with all due respect, you do what this man tells you, you're all gonna die." She sasses.

  
"She's right." I speak up before Murry can keep arguing with her. I move the paper closer to me and point at one of the bigger squares. "You see this here, this is a storage room, it's easy access surprisingly and a good way in. You want a good way in with little altercations, right?"

  
Murry sighs and crosses his arms in defeat. "Shorty's right." I bristle at the nickname, but let Dustin take over. He nods and takes the paper, taking over completely.

  
"There's a hatch in here that feeds into their underground ventilation system. That will lead you to the base of the weapon. It's a bit of a maze down there, but between me and Erica, we can show you the way." He smiles wide, knowing what he's doing.

  
Dad looks at him with an unimpressed look. " _You_ can show us the way? Yeah no." He says, shaking his head. I groan and roll my eyes.

  
"They're not going to go down there, even I won't allow that. They can use walkie talkies to navigate you. Easy peasy."

  
Dustin shakes his head, and even Erica does. "The signal won't reach." Erica stresses. 

  
"Not with those. You need something with a high frequency band to relay with the Russian's radio tower. But for that to work, you need someone who has both seen their comms room and has access to a super-powered handcrafted radio tower, one preferably already situated at the highest point in Hawkins." He smirks up at Dad, crossing his arms as well.

  
"Oh wait, that's me. You want us to navigate, you got us, but we need a head start. and a car." Dad sighs and pulls out keys and hands them to me. "You should get going, and Sarah," He calls, making me look up at him.

I hum. "Don't even think about it kid." I quirk an eyebrow up, confused. "Don't think about what?"

  
"You know what I mean, sacrificing yourself. You have a bad habit of doing that." I blush at the callout. Johnathan perks up, nodding along. "Yeah, stick to the plan." I stick my tongue out at the two.

  
I laugh lightly at their callouts though. I turn around, ready to leave, but everybody suddenly gasps. I look around, confused. "What?"

  
"You're nose, it's bleeding again." Max says, pointing at my face. I wipe at my upper lip and find dark blood glistening on my fingertips. I feel my body run cold in fear and anxiety, but I try to brush it off.

  
"It's probably because I used my powers a whole bunch earlier, I'm fine really."

  
Steve walks up to me, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Sarah, you sure?"

  
"Of course, trust me I'm f-" Suddenly, the mall falls away. Everyone disappears. Steve disappears. 

  
I'm left alone in the void again. Instead of fear, anger takes over my body. "Great, just great! And in the middle of telling them I'm fine too! You've got some sick kind of humor!" I yell to no one.

  
I run my hand through my hair, huffing slightly from the yelling. _Why is this happening again? What else do I need to see?_

  
"Byers?"

  
I quickly turn around, recognizing the voice immediately. "Billy?" 

He stands before me, sweating profusely and with bloodshot eyes. He tries to take a step towards me, but I take one step back, lighting my hands on fire. "Stay right there!"

  
"Really Byers, we don't have time for this."

  
"How do I know if you're the real Billy, and not that douchier version of him that almost fought my sister?" I interrogate, but I can tell which one it is. This Billy doesn't have that dark aura around him, more like a fearful, sad one.

  
He groans, clenching his hands into fists. "Seriously Byers, stop being a dumbass for once."

  
I extinguish my flames. "Alright, you're the real Billy." I still keep my distance from him. "What's going on? I already know about the Mind Flayer, what else do you need to tell me?"

  
"We know how to kill it." He cuts to the chase.

  
The declaration knocks the air out of me. "Wh-what, you do? And, 'we'?"

  
"Yes, the flayed, or at least, the ones that still have a bit of awareness left. We came up with a plan you can use."

  
"Well, what is it?! If it can kill the Mind Flayer, then you need to tell me now."

  
"You won't like it."

I scoff. "Please, a plan is a plan, no matter how bad."

"You have to die."

I blank, shocked. _Way to be blunt dude._ I take another step back, raising my fists just in case. "The fuck?"

  
"Listen will you?"

  
"No, you just said I have to die!"

  
"It's the only way. If you live, it lives."

  
"What are you talking about?"

  
He sighs, trying to get his point across. "You and the thing have some sort of connection-"

  
"Known that for a while, got any other new revelations?"

  
"You need to sever the connection, and to do that, you need to die. Some kind of 'One can't live without the other' bullshit." He says, ignoring me.

  
 _So much for Dad and Johnathan telling me not to sacrifice myself_. I lower my hands and shake my head. "I can't use that, Billy. We have a plan already, and it will work, without anyone dying." I say, showing that my decision has been made. 

  
He sighs and shakes his head. "I hate to say this, but you're our only hope, Byers. I hope you make the right decision in the end."

  
The void around us begins to fade, and begin to awake, with the haunting image of Billy's bloodshot eyes stuck in my brain.

  
"She's waking up!" I hear someone yell above me. I groan and slowly open my eyes. I glare at the bright florescent lights, seeing everyone standing above me with concerned gazes. 

  
"Son of a bitch." I mumble, trying to sit up. Everyone back up, giving me space. "Are you okay, Sarah? Did you have another vision?" Will asks, helping me up.

  
I look at his concerned, innocent stare, and shrink a little. _They can't know about Billy's plan. they just can't._ I look down and nod slowly. "Y-yeah. I just saw the Mind Flayer, so we need to work quickly."

  
I look up at Steve, who's standing in front of me, and reach up to him. He grabs my hands and helps me up. Everyone's quiet. I pick up the car keys Dad gave me and hand them to Steve. 

  
"You should be the one behind the wheel, wouldn't want someone fainting on the way there." I joke, trying to get rid of the tension, but it does nothing.

  
I sigh and pull on Steve's hand. "C'mon guys, I'm fine now. Let's just get on with the plan." They finally start moving, noticing the urgency in my tone.

  
Steve nods for us to follow, and we follow him out of the mall. He pushes the doors open, chuckling to himself at the sight before him. 

  
"Oh man, now this... this is what I'm talkin' about!" He says, looking at the bright yellow car in front of us. 

  
"Toddfather?" Robin asks, reading the license plate.

  
Steve laughs again. "Oh screw Todd! Steve's her daddy now." He says as he climbs in. I chuckle at his childishness, climbing into the back.

"Did you just talk about yourself in the third person?" Christine asks, faux concern in her voice, as she climbs in. 

  
"Did he just call himself Daddy?"

  
"Where are we going?" Steve asks, ignoring them, as he starts the car. 

  
"Weathertop." Dustin replies. Steve nods and pulls out of the mall parking lot. We drive for a while, not seeing anything but trees. 

  
Christine and I rest in the back while the rest talk about Dustin's girlfriend Suzie. I glance over at Christine, and notice her conflicted face. It's like she's having a battle with herself.

  
I nudge her arm, making her look up at me. "You okay?" I lean over and ask, wanting to keep this between us. She nods, but it's not very convincing. "Tell you later." She answers, then faces forward, not paying me any mind.

  
 _She's been acting weird ever since the talk in the bathroom. I wonder if something we said bothered her?_ Suddenly, cutting off my thoughts, Steve makes a sharp left into a field leading to a hill. I slide into Christine, and she holds onto the side of the car.

  
The car starts to slow down the higher up the hill we get. "We're not gonna make it!" Robin yells.

  
"Yes we are!" Steve yells at her and the car. But no amount of pleading can make the car go up the hill. It finally stalls right before we get to the top.

  
Steve sighs and turns the engine off, climbing out of the car. We follow him and begin our small trek the rest of the way up the hill. Christine looks up at the rest of them, almost like she's comparing something.

  
She grabs my arm, making me stop. I look down at her, concerned. "Christy, you okay?" I ask again.

  
She doesn't answer, just stays quiet, like she's lost in her mind. I place my hand on hers and try to comfort her. "Hey, if you're scared, that okay. I'll be honest, I'm pretty scared too, but we're in this togeth-"

"I'm gay." She blurts out.

  
I stop, caught off guard. She takes my silence as an okay to keep going. "That's why I moved away from Derry. Somehow, people found out, and it was bad enough I'm black, stupid Bowers wouldn't leave me alone and almost killed me on several occasions. That kid was a straight psycho. When Robin came out in the bathroom, and you and Steve were so accepting, I thought that maybe I could come out too. That you guys would accept me too."

  
She lets go of my arm and shrinks in on herself. "I just wanted to tell someone before I died, and I trust you more than anyone else. And...I think I'm in love with Robin... And not like basic, schoolyard crush love, more like what you and Steve have."

  
She breathes heavily from her speech, not looking me in the eye. I grab her arm gently, making her look up at me. There's a bit of fear lingering in her eyes.

  
"Christine, if you haven't guessed, you are my best friend, of course I would accept you, gay or not. Thank you for trusting me with this. And if I could, I would roast that Bowers kid if I could for those attempts." She laughs wetly, wiping her eyes and smiling widely.

  
"Honestly, I'm pretty sure Robin likes you back. Like, I'm pretty oblivious when it comes to feelings, but even I can see those looks she gives you." She blushes, but she hides it by hugging me tightly. "Thank you." She whispers.

  
I hug her back, resting my chin on her head. "You don't need to thank me, I didn't do anything any good person wouldn't do. And anyway, you're not going to die, I'll make sure of it."

  
"How are you so sure? I trust our plan, but what if something happens?" Christine asks in a small voice. I tense hugging her tighter. _If she trusts me with her secret, I have to trust her with mine, a secret for a secret kind of thing?_

  
I sigh tiredly. "Even if our plan fails, I have a back up plan. The only person who would die would be me, that's what he said."

  
She lets go, moving back. "What?"

  
I look down. "The vision, Billy gave me a plan, he said it would kill the Mind Flayer, but I have to die for it to work."

  
"But you're not going to use it, right?"

  
"I will if I have to."

  
She stutters, but I cut her off. "I don't want to, really. I'm going to do my damnedest to not use it, but if push comes to shove, it will have to be done." She tries to say something, but Dustin interrupts her. "What happened, you guys fell behind?"

  
I plaster on a fake smile and wave up at him. "We're on our way!" I turn back to Christine, letting the smile drop. "Please, keep this to yourself. the others would freak out if they knew." Christine seems to fight herself about it, but she gives in eventually.

  
She nods slowly, giving me a pitying look, as if I've already signed my death certificate, and in a way, I have.

  
We face the hill and begin our trek. _Let's just hope I don't have to use that plan, but life is a bitch that way, huh?_


End file.
